


Written In The Stars

by Blodeuwedd



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: M/M, Shameless Big Bang 2014
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-06-13
Packaged: 2018-01-25 17:02:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 32,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1655876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blodeuwedd/pseuds/Blodeuwedd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because once it's an accident, twice it's a coincidence, but three times... it's destiny.</p><p>AU where Ian is a model and Mickey is a photographer.</p><p>Beware of the Explicit rating! Warnings: slight dub-con (sleeping), rimming, bottom!Ian (towards the end)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the fic I wrote for the Shameless Big Bang of 2014. I'll be posting two or three chapters per day until it's completed. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!  
> P.S.: Although I did a bit of research for this, I have never actually known either a model or a photograph, so excuse anything that seems odd.

Ian Gallagher is a lucky man. Well, boy. Coming from a big family that struggles to survive in one of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago, his most likely fate was to drop out of high school to get whatever job would have him so that he can help provide food for his large family – that is, if he didn’t become a criminal. The stars seemed to have something else in mind for him, however, and as it is he is on his way to his first gig as a model. He’s been discovered while taking a day off with his siblings at the beach – something they rarely ever do, but they’d been in need of some fun and a different scenario at the time. Ian was skeptical when a tall blond stranger who seemed to be in his forties approached him and gave him his card, saying he was an agent and that Ian seemed to have what it took to be a model, and would he like to try it out? He laughed it off and said yes, sure, why not?, but not really believed the guy, who was probably just an old guy looking to get laid. He kept the card though, because screw it, the guy was attractive, he might as well give him a call; even if all he wanted was to fuck, Ian would be totally down with that. So he gave him a call a few days later and it turned out to be all true (Ian still gave him a bj, because the guy was hot and who knew, maybe that would increase his chances? It certainly didn’t hurt to try). And now, merely two weeks later, he is having some pictures taken for a jeans ad. It isn’t anything big yet, but his picture will be on the catalog of the store and he can’t wait to see it and show other people. Also, the cash is quite good, considering it is only one afternoon of work, and it will help his family get by for a little while.

Ian takes a deep breath as he enters the studio, trying to ease his nerves. He has to make this work, it is the best shot he has of getting out of the Southside. Well, there is also the army, which was his childhood dream, but lately that dream hasn’t been that much appealing anymore, with him realizing all the implications of enlisting. So he sends a silent prayer to whatever god is listening that this goes well, that he does a good job and that they like him enough to call him again.

An hour later and he has been groomed by half a dozen different people. They loved his hair, saying it is his most prominent feature, and lamenting it is so short at the moment. They put some make-up on him and at first he felt strange about it, but it had just been some stuff to conceal a few imperfections and all, nothing like eyeliner or lipstick. They even applied make up on his body, after shaving his torso (not that he had that much hair there to begin with, but they seemed to think it looked better in the pictures). So now he is sitting on a chair dressed only in underwear and a robe, waiting to be called and sipping some fancy coffee that someone whose name he can’t recall has brought him. He is trying to relax, but he can’t help but shake his legs with impatience as he waits for what seems like hours.

“First time?” Ian startles, almost dropping his nearly empty cup of coffee. He looks up to the bluest eyes he has ever seen, accompanied by raised eyebrows and a sexy smile that makes his breath get caught in his throat. The guy in front of him doesn’t seem much older than Ian himself and he is definitely good-looking, slim but strong, muscles showing through his fitted shirt. Unlike Ian he is fully dressed, in loose jeans and sneakers. His skin is pale, even whiter than Ian’s, but his hair is jet black. He is short, yet intimidating, his strong hands with FUCK U-UP tattooed on his knuckles probably capable of breaking some of Ian’s bones – or bending him over and fucking him hard while holding him tight enough to leave bruises. The thought sent tingles down this stomach and he gives the stranger a lopsided smile, turning his flirtatious mode on as he looks him up and down appreciatively.

“That obvious?”

“Yeah, well, you shake those legs a bit more and they might fall out. Maybe you should go easy on the coffee.”

Ian laughs and jiggles his cup of coffee, the lack of sound attesting for its emptiness. “Too late.”

The stranger laughs along and takes the cup from Ian’s hand. “Here, I’ll throw that away for you. I’m Mickey, by the way.”

“Ian Gallagher.” He offers his hand with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes.

Mickey takes it and gives it a firm handshake. “Nice you meet you, Ian Gallagher. And good luck, I’m sure you’ll do great.” He winks and leaves and Ian can’t even remember why he was so nervous in the first place.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is sex in this chapter. You've been warned.

The photo session turns out to be a lot more fun than he was expecting. It isn’t easy, however, and it is many hours until it is finally over. He is tired and starving, but happy and feeling like he has accomplished something. They’ve asked him to make a lot of different faces and taken so many pictures he was almost blind by the end. Mickey was next to the photographer most of the time, sometimes handing him stuff or discussing something, and Ian figured he was the guy’s assistant or something. Every so often he would smile at Ian and he’d feel heat rising to his cheeks. Most of the time, however, Mickey had seemed pretty engrossed in his duties, a serious face as he adjusted lights and paced behind the photographer.

Once the photo shoot is over, Ian gets back into his clothes, but doesn’t go home straight away. He waits and watches as everyone leaves and the equipment is taken away, mostly by Mickey. Finally they are the only people still in the room, now pretty much bare. Mickey turns and sees Ian standing on the corner, back against the wall and fingers on the belt loops of his jeans, looking laidback. He raises his eyebrows and smiles and Ian grins back. He backs away from the wall and approaches the brunette.

“You hungry? I am. Thought maybe we could go grab a bit or something”, Ian says, trying to appear nonchalant.

Mickey quickly nods. “Yeah man, I’m starving. Any suggestions?”

Ian shrugs. “I could go for a hot dog.”

Mickey nods again, picking up his bag. “Sure. And a fuck later?”

Ian is taken aback by the bluntness in the other man’s words, but recovers quickly. He smiles slyly and raises his eyebrows. “Guess I’d better eat lightly then.”

They buy the hot dogs and sit on a bench to eat them, talking about their lives. Ian tells Mickey how he was discovered and that he is hoping that will actually be a career option for him, how great it would be for himself and for his family. He tells him about his siblings, about his drunk father and absent mother and the neighborhood they live in. Mickey assures him he was great and is naturally talented. Ian blushes slightly, smiling.

“If you’re just saying that to try to get into my pants, you don’t need to. It’s gonna happen anyway”, he whispers, getting closer, and it is Mickey’s turn to blush and duck his head. He looks around, checking if anyone is observing them, then shakes his head. “Nah man, for real. You did great. But since you mentioned it… Let’s get out of here!”

They take the L to Mickey’s place, and it is such a weird notion, riding the train with someone you are going to fuck in a few minutes. Mickey leaves no room for awkwardness though, asking questions about Ian’s family and childhood and seeming genuinely interested in the answers. It takes about 20 minutes until they finally arrive at their station, and then Mickey leads him through the now dark streets for about 10 more minutes, turning a few corners here and there. Ian vaguely realizes he is in a neighborhood he doesn’t know with a person he barely knows either, following said person to his house, and it contradicts all the safety rules he’s ever heard of, but he can’t bring himself to care. He is a big boy and he can definitely take care of himself – besides, he doesn’t feel threatened by Mickey.

Mickey leads him into a two-bedroom apartment, not big, but not that small either, with light-yellow walls and wooden floors, the dining room/living room area furnished only with a small table on the corner, two chairs, a couch and a large TV.

“You live with someone?”

“Yeah, sister. But she’s working, won’t be home for a couple of hours.” He turns to Ian and smirks, walking backwards through the hallway and into the bedroom. “We can be as loud as we want to.” He is already undoing his belt buckle and he lets his jeans fall as soon as he steps into the room, toeing off his shoes and stepping out of his jeans, which he throws on Ian’s face.

“Come on, take your clothes off. It’s not like I haven’t seen most of the merchandise already.” He approaches Ian and hooks a finger into the waistband of his boxers. “I’m curious to see if the carpet matches the drapes.” Ian laughs at the stupid pick-up line and pulls his t-shirt over his head, letting it fall somewhere in the floor. He leans forward with the intent of kissing Mickey, but the other guy pulls back, taking off his own shirt. Ian is mesmerized by the way the light catches on Mickey’s pale skin and the barely there muscle lines in his stomach and chest.  The arousal he’s started to feel hours before finally catches up with him and it’s like his body is being taken over by flames. He runs his hands down Mickey’s sides and lets them rest on his hips, pushing until the back of Mickey’s knees hit the bed and he is forced to sit down. Mickey scoots up the bed and quickly shimmies out of his boxers, revealing his already hard and angry red cock. Ian wastes no time, immediately leaning over and positioning himself between Mickey’s legs, supporting his own weight on his elbows. He licks the large vein on the underside of Mickey’s dick and hears him gasp. He quickly engulfs the head of Mickey’s erection with his lips and starts sucking earnestly, putting more of him in his mouth with every bob of his head. Mickey tastes of salt and sweat and Ian has just starts to enjoy it when he feels something hit his head. He stops and looks up, smiling around Mickey’s cock when he notices he is being handed a bottle of lube. Well then, message received. Mickey doesn’t seem to be a man of many words, especially not in bed, and Ian enjoys that. He’s fucked guys that wouldn’t stop babbling while he pounded into them and it irritated him to no end. He is also happy to notice Mickey intends on bottoming. Ian has only had a cock in him once and he didn’t exactly enjoy the experience. He keeps telling himself maybe one day he’ll try it again, but he is in no rush.

Sitting on his calves, Ian pours some lube on his hand, rubbing his fingers together to get it warmer. Mickey is looking at him expectantly, biting his lower lip, his knees raised and spread apart. Ian presses one digit against Mickey’s entrance, massaging around it slowly, and is rewarded with a small low moan. He pushes in slowly but non-stop until he has his whole finger inside, then pulls back slightly and pushes in again, brow furrowed in concentration as he tries to find Mickey’s sweet spot. After a few movements of his finger, he seems to have found it, for Mickey gasps and arches his hips slightly. Ian then inserts a second finger, twisting them inside Mickey to get him stretched and loose enough to accommodate Ian’s dick, which is now hard and leaking precum on his pants.

“Enough”, Mickey pants, thighs shaking a bit as he stretches his arm to reach for the first drawer of his nightstand, pull it open and taking a condom from the inside, tossing it to Ian.

Ian quickly undoes the button of his pants and pulls the zipper down, pushing them down enough for his dick to be free, letting them stay around his knees. He gives his cock a few strong pumps and rolls the condom down. Mickey has sat up somewhat, getting closer to him, and taken the bottle of lube. He spreads a good amount around Ian’s cock, going deliberately slowly while he looks into Ian’s eyes. Having had enough, Ian closes his hand around Mickey’s wrist and pulls it away from his cock and above Mickey’s head, forcing him to lie back down. He positions his cock on Mickey’s hole using his other hand and slams home in one swift motion, eliciting a long moan from both young men. Mickey wraps his legs around Ian’s waist and the movement pushes him deeper inside Mickey. He pulls back until only the tip of his dick is still inside Mickey, then slams back again, making Mickey arch his back. He starts to move in and out of Mickey, falling into a steady rhythm, that Mickey quickly matches with his own hips. Mickey’s free hand runs down Ian’s back and squeezes his ass and Ian falls forward, gaining speed. He lets go of Mickey’s wrist to support himself on his hands, one in each side of Mickey’s head, while he moves his hips fast and with a purpose, trying to brush against Mickey’s prostate with every move. It seems to be working, for in no time they are both groaning and panting. Mickey grabs his neglected cock and starts pumping furiously, matching the pace Ian is slamming into him. A few strokes and he is gone, letting out a deep groan as he comes all over his hand and their chests. Ian keeps moving into him, the movement of Mickey’s walls squeezing around his dick quickly sending him over the edge as well. His orgasm hits him strongly and his vision blurs as he collapses on top of Mickey, hips still moving slightly as he rides out his climax.

He rolls onto his back next to Mickey and takes off the condom, tying it and throwing it on the floor. It is not as if Mickey’s room is that tidy to begin with. Mickey hands him a box of tissues and they clean up the mess they’ve made in silence, only their still ragged breaths being heard. Mickey stands up abruptly, startling Ian.

“Man, I’m thirsty! Want a beer?” Ian nods and watches as Mickey leaves the room completely naked. He takes his time to admire Mickeys round butt and strong thighs, licking his lips. He’s just finished getting completely naked and comfortable when Mickey comes back with a bottle of beer, already sipping from it. He passes it to Ian and leans against the headboard. Ian grins at him and accepts the beer, taking a few long sips. Mickey lets out a loud burp and Ian smiles. He likes that. He likes Mickey’s bluntness and his roughness and the way he doesn’t seem to pretend around Ian. Ian has never feels so comfortable around a guy he before, especially not one he has fucked.

Mickey takes a pack of cigarettes from his nightstand, lights one and takes a long drag, letting the smoke out in small clouds, then hands it to Ian, smiling. Ian accepts it, handing the beer back to Mickey. He takes a few drags and finishes the cigarette, smashing the butt on a porcelain ashtray that lies on the nightstand, already full of smoked ones.

“So… that was fun”, Ian says, looking for appropriate words, feeling the awkwardness setting in. Once again, however, Mickey doesn’t allow for it.

“Yup. You ready to go again or you need some time, Firecrotch?”

Ian smirks at the challenge and flips Mickey over, sitting on his waist, one knee on each side of his body. Before Mickey can react, Ian has pinned his wrists above his head and forced his shoulders down on the mattress. Mickey laughs.

“Whoa, slow down there, tough guy!”

“You think I’m tough, huh? Well, let me prove it.”

Ian lowers his head to bite on Mickey’s shoulder, then scrapes his teeth down his back. He can’t see Mickey’s face from his position, but he is pretty sure the other man is enjoying his ministrations, his forehead pressed against the pillow and his breath becoming labored again. Ian’s cock has leapt to attention, already half-hard despite the fact that they’ve had sex not that long ago. The perks of being young, he supposes. Might as well enjoy it. He gives his erection a few tugs to get himself harder, and is about to thrust it inside Mickey when he realizes he doesn’t have a condom. He lets go of Mickey to get one from the nightstand, but as soon as he has it, he is flipped and pinned against the mattress himself. Mickey straddles his hips and rolls the condom down, leaning over to give Ian’s dick a long and slow lick. He smiles at the grunt that escapes Ian’s lips. He impales himself on Ian’s dick, swearing loudly when he feels it stretching him again, filling him completely. He starts moving up and down slowly, setting a lazy rhythm for them. That changes abruptly when Ian once again flips them over, pressing down on Mickey on the hard mattress. He raises Mickey’s legs and holds him by his calves, efficiently bending the older boy in two and minimizing his movements. Mickey curses and Ian isn’t entirely sure if he is mad or just deeply aroused. He moves fast and hard, pushing deeply into Mickey, not giving the other man time to catch his breath. He moves his grip to Mickey’s hip to give him more leverage and continues pounding hard into him. The other man writhes under him, hands fisting the sheets as moans leave his lips continuously, getting gradually louder. It takes only a few minutes until Mickey is done, shouting obscenities as he comes for the second time that night. Ian doesn’t give him any rest though, and continues to thrust, feeling his own orgasm approaching fast. His toes curl and his nails dig into Mickey’s flesh as he climaxes, letting out a long groan. He doesn’t have the energy left to move this time, so Mickey pushes him off his body, rolling him to his side. It takes them several minutes before they can speak again, both panting hard and grinning like idiots.

“Fuck, that was top 5 material, Ian Gallagher!”

“Best. Ever.”

“Really? The best fuck you ever had?” Mickey raises his eyebrows smugly and Ian laughs. “Fuck yeah, man. You can brag all you want, you’ve earned it. That was fucking amazing!”

Mickey grins. “Think that is the best we’ll ever achieve together or we can try to make it better?”

Ian laughs, playfully pushing Mickey’s arm. “Not tonight man, I’m beat! Still got to catch the L back home.”

“You can stay, you know?”

Ian looks surprised. “For real?”

“Yeah, sure. Big bed. But if you snore I’ll kick you out.”

Ian grins back at him. “Deal!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More sex and slightly dub-con.

He wakes up to a feeling of warmth and wetness running down his body and blinks his eyes open lazily. He’s suddenly jolted awake by the feeling of soft lips and a wet tongue around the head of his cock and he curses loudly, instantly horny. He raises his torso and looks down at Mickey, who’s staring at him with a glint of mischief in his eyes. Mickey takes Ian all into his mouth, deep throating him, and all Ian can do is try not to come right away. He groans and falls back into the pillows, bringing one of his hands up to cradle Mickey’s head and push it down. Mickey doesn’t complain, though his eyes water with Ian’s dick chocking him. He hums around it and relaxes, visibly enjoying the effect he has on the younger man. Ian lets go of Mickey in favor of crumpling the already messy sheets between his closed fists, but bucks his hips, fucking Mickey’s mouth. Mickey allows him to, pulling back just a little bit to give him more space to maneuver. Mickey’s hands run up Ian’s abs and chest and he tweaks Ian’s nipples. Ian’s orgasm hits him quicker than he thought it would and he comes in Mickey’s mouth. His mind is hazy as he watches Mickey swallow his load and kiss up Ian’s chest and neck. He falls back asleep almost instantly.

“Hey, Cinderella, wake up!”

“Hmmm”. Ian rolls over in bed and hears a hearty laughter above him. He opens his eyes, frowning as the sunlight hits his eyes, and is greeted with the sight of a fully clothed Mickey staring down at him.

“Fuck! Did I… Did I fall asleep on you?”

“Well, you came first, so it’s all good.”

“Oh, shit! I’m sorry, I’ll…”, he stops midsentence to let out a huge yawn. “Give me a minute and I’ll make it up to you.”

Mickey smiles and Ian is again taken aback by how hot he is.

“Nah, it’s fine, man. I happen to love sucking dick.” He winks, giving Ian’s thigh a playful slap. “I gotta go anyway. Got work to do. There’s coffee in the kitchen. Help yourself to anything you want, ok? And just slam the door behind you.”

And just like that he’s gone and Ian is left feeling cold and lonely and completely awkward all by himself in a stranger’s house. He checks his phone and is greeted by four missed calls, two from his older sister and two from his older brother, plus six text messages, the last one from his sister saying ‘I hope you’re getting laid and not dead’. He curses and sends a message back, assuring her he’s okay and will be home soon. He stretches and gets out of the soft bed. He wants a shower, but feels like he’s abusing his welcome. He gets dressed back into his clothes from the previous day and settles for washing his face. He notices the door to Mickey’s sister’s bedroom is closed and tiptoes around the apartment, trying to be as silent as possible. He does take the cup of coffee Mickey offered, though, and washes his cup before leaving the apartment. It’s only once he’s halfway home that he realizes he’s forgotten to leave Mickey his number. He shrugs. It was great, but it was only a one-night stand. Whatever.


	4. Chapter 4

Except he can’t stop thinking about it, memories of the night he’s spent with Mickey assaulting him at the most random moments. When he’s walking down the streets, when he’s at school, when he’s having dinner with his family, all he thinks about are the other man’s scent, his taste, his pale skin with red marks from being pressed by Ian’s fingers, his blue eyes looking at him while he sucked his dick, his soft black hair being gripped by Ian’s hands while he fucked him. Someone says his name and he startles, blushing furiously, and his sister teases him, saying he has a crush. He denies it, but can’t help wondering. Does he?

After nearly two weeks of this he’s had enough. He gets dressed in some of his nicest clothes, applies some cologne, and takes the train to Mickey’s house. Luckily he has a good memory and he’s pretty sure he can find his way. It’s a Saturday morning, and he hopes he’ll find Mickey at home. By himself. He walks quickly through the streets, actually getting lost a couple of times. He stops only once, in a convenience store, and gets a couple cans of Pringles, a case of beer and some condoms. Better safe than sorry.

When he finally finds it and rings the bell, his heart is beating so fast it feels like it’s going to leap out of his throat. He waits for a couple minutes and, when nothing happens, rings again. He’s about to ring for the third time when the door springs open and he’s greeted by a disheveled looking Mickey, clad only in blue-striped white boxers.

“Sorry!”, Ian blurts out. “I mean… I wanted to call… I mean, I would have called but… Well, I didn’t have your number and… Well, I…”

“Just come in, Firecrotch. I’m alone.”

“Oh!” Ian lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He steps into the apartment, looking around awkwardly. “I… I brought some stuff. Just… beer and snacks. I hope you like barbecue Pringles.”

“Sure man, they’re my favorite.” Mickey gets the bags from Ian’s hands and settles them down on the table next to the door.

“Your sister here?”

“No, spending the weekend with whatever douchebag’s she’s banging at the moment.”

“Oh, cool. So, what have you been up to?”

“You wanna chit-chat more or you wanna get on me?”

Ian can’t help but smile at Mickey’s bluntness once more. He quickly discards his clothes, leaving a trail behind him as he follows Mickey into his bedroom. What he sees once he gets there makes him whine with need. Mickey’s already totally naked and on all fours, fingering himself, a bottle of lube resting beside his calf. Ian quickly assumes the task, and it’s not long before he’s thrusting into Mickey, the headboard hitting the wall and the bed squeaking with their movements. It’s fast and rough and everything Ian loves and leaves them gasping for air afterwards. Mickey makes them some late breakfast and they eat lazily in bed, before going at it again. They blow each other in the large bed and fuck against the wall in the hallway and Ian rims Mickey in the shower. They watch a movie and talk stupid shit about who would win in a fight, Seagall or Van Damme, and stuff their faces with junk food. They fuck in the couch and fall asleep on it. Mickey blows Ian against the kitchen sink the next morning, and they fuck against the table and once more in the shower and then collapse on the bed. They order some pizza for lunch – though it’s the middle of the afternoon – and eat it while watching silly cartoons, laughing unashamedly. Ian doesn’t know how either of them is still standing after all the fucking they’ve been doing, but they still go at it again, Mickey riding Ian on the couch. After they’ve caught their breaths Ian laughs and says he should go while he still has enough energy to walk. Mickey laughs while he runs the tips of his fingers down Ian’s body, softly caressing all the marks he’s left on the ginger haired boy during the weekend. Ian watches him and his breath gets caught on his throat again. He feels butterfly on his stomach and can’t help the huge grin that spreads through his face. Mickey is tough and blunt and sexy as hell, but he sometimes shows a sweet side that has Ian melting inside.

They say their goodbyes and Ian makes sure to get Mickey’s number this time, leaving his as well.

“So, I guess this was like a booty call, huh?” Ian says, lingering at the doorway.

Mickey snorts. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. See you around, carrot top.” But he winks and Ian feels giddy all over when he gets into the elevator. Yeah, he’s got a crush alright.


	5. Chapter 5

He manages to wait four full days before he sends Mickey a text asking him if he’s free for dinner – and by dinner, of course, he means sex. He can’t help but feeling disappointed when Mickey texts back saying no and apologizing. He’d been really expecting a yes. He knows he’s pouting, but he can’t help it. His spirits are somewhat lifted when his phone buzzes again with a new message from Mickey.

**Friday?**

Ian grins down at his phone, getting a pillow on the head from his brother for ‘acting like a girl’. He doesn’t mind it though, and quickly replies back.

**_Sure. See ya._ **

He refrains from adding anything more personal, though he wants to. He wants to ask how Mickey’s week has been so far, and to tell him about things that have happened in school, and how he got a call for another photo shoot, and how his little brother has been acting up at school and how his younger sisters has a boyfriend now, but he doesn’t. He also thinks about sending naughty texts, but doesn’t. They’re not there yet. Yet. Damn, he’s got it bad for that boy!

He meets Mickey in a small diner near Mickey’s apartment, for what the older boy swears are the best burgers in Chicago. Ian scoffs, but can’t deny the burgers are really good once he gets the first bites. They eat silently, enjoying the warm food and slurping their Cokes. Ian tentatively bumps his foot against Mickey’s under the table, avoiding his eyes.

“We’re not playing footsie”, Mickey says in a low voice, and Ian pulls his foot away.

“Sorry”, he says, sheepishly, relieved that he hasn’t ruined everything when he sees Mickey’s small smile in the corner of his lips.

They finish their meals and head to Mickey’s apartment, walking leisurely through the busy streets, knowing they have plenty of time. They stop to buy a carton of vanilla ice cream and a bottle of chocolate syrup, walking a bit faster so that the ice cream doesn’t melt completely. They eat from big bowls, spread on the couch while they watch a rerun of Two and a Half Men. Once they’re both finished, Ian collects the bowls and takes them to the kitchen. His eyes get caught on the bottle of chocolate syrup still sitting on the kitchen counter and he bites his lower lip. Maybe… He shakes his head. No, probably not. He doubts Mickey will want it.

“Bring the chocolate syrup!”, he hears Mickey shout already from the bedroom and grins. Looks like they’re on the same page.

He turns off all the lights on his way to the bedroom and closes the door behind him. Mickey’s sister is once again absent, but that’s not to say she can’t arrive at any given minute.

The lights on the bedroom are out except for two small lamps, their dim illumination casting a soft yellow glow on Mickey’s skin. The blue-eyed boy is sitting cross-legged in the center of the bed, a bottle of lube, some tissues  and a box of condoms on the bedside table. Ian sets the chocolate syrup there as well, and sits on the bed facing Mickey, mimicking his position. Mickey holds the hem of Ian’s t-shirt and pulls it up. Ian lifts his arms to help him, and Mickey tosses the article of clothing on the floor next to the bed. Ian leans forward, intent on kissing Mickey, but the older boy moves his face sideways and Ian’s lips only brush his cheek. Ian can help the look of disappointment the crosses his eyes as he pulls back. He watches as Mickey bites his lower lip, pondering, before making up his mind and leaning over to give Ian a peck on the lips. His lips are soft and cold and smell of chocolate and Ian has barely closed his eyes before Mickey’s pulling back again. He smiles and Mickey scoffs, blushing and looking down. When he looks up again and sees Ian is still smiling he flips him off, but leans over to kiss him again. It’s still soft and tentative, but then Ian flicks his tongue over Mickey’s lips and he opens his mouth to welcome Ian’s. Ian’s tongue roams inside the other boy’s mouth, brushing and caressing and teasing and he sighs contently. His right hand goes to the back of Mickey’s head, pulling him closer and smashing their mouths together. He feels more than hears Mickey’s soft moan and pulls back to look at him. His blue eyes look green in the dim light, his pupils dilated with lust, his lips red and wet, so sexy Ian feels knots on his stomach. He pushes him to lie on his back and lowers himself on top of him, kissing him again. He feels Mickey’s hand on his head and his back, his fingers pressing on the tender flesh, his erection pressing against his own. His moves his hips to grind down on Mickey and they groan into each other’s mouths. Ian breaks the kiss and starts placing open-mouthed, wet kisses, licking and nibbling down Mickey’s jaw and neck. He sucks on his neck, a red bruise already forming and nips on it, feeling accomplished when he hears Mickey murmur a curse. He sits back on his heels and tugs on Mickey’s shirt, pulling it over his head. He gently unzips Mickey’s pants and pulls them down, smiling once he notices that Mickey has gone commando. He grabs the syrup from the bedside table and opens it, pouring a good amount down Mickey’s chest and around his nipples, down his stomach onto his hardened cock. He squirms and laughs at the funny feeling and Ian pokes his tongue at him. He quickly discards the rest of his clothes, tossing everything on the floor and leans over Mickey, supporting his weight on his hand to try to avoid messing the syrup already. He continues kissing Mickey, down his shoulders and chest. He cleans up the syrup with broad licks, down his chest and around his nipple, biting and sucking and bringing Mickey to writhe beneath him. Ian moves to the other nipple, giving it the same treatment, before licking down Mickey’s stomach. Some of the syrup has slid down to the sheets and Ian shrugs. He’ll deal with that later. He purposefully avoids Mickey’s leaking erection, licking slowly around it in a way he knows is bound to drive Mickey crazy.

“Move with it already, Ian Gallagher!”

He chuckles, but obeys, licking up the underside of Mickey’s cock and running his tongue over the slit. The mixture of chocolate and come has he wanting more and his closes his lips around the head, sucking vigorously. Mickey groans and curses and bucks his hips and Ian holds him down, letting go of his cock with a loud pop.

“Easy tiger. I’ll get you.”

He settles himself better between Mickey’s legs, pushing his hips down while he engulfs him into his mouth once more. He flattens his tongue and bobs his head, taking more of Mickey in with every movement. Mickey’s cock isn’t anywhere as long as his, but it’s thick and Ian has to open his mouth wide to take it all in. Mickey moans and pants beneath him, tugging his hair as a warning. Ian moves his hand to massage Mickey’s balls and the older boy comes undone, climaxing with a low groan from his bitten lips, arching his back slightly, hand yanking Ian’s hair with force. Ian grabs a tissue and spits on it, making a little ball with it before wrapping it in another tissue and leaving it on the table. He’s never been a fan of swallowing. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and grins down at Mickey, who’s still recovering. He straddles Mickey’s shoulders, trapping his arms. His own cock is pulsing already, close to the edge just from watching Mickey come. He holds it firmly around the base and gives it few tugs, feeling his orgasm quickly approaching him. Mickey seems to have gotten on with the program, lips parted and tongue and chin lifted to wait for Ian’s load. He doesn’t have to wait long, for a few more strokes are all Ian needs before he gets there, lips parting and eyes closing while he spurts all over Mickey’s face and mouth. Mickey who, unlike Ian, has no problem with swallowing, licking his lips and smiling wickedly at Ian.

After they’ve changed the sheets and cleaned up (and exchanged hand jobs in the shower), they lay side-by-side on the large bed, smoking serenely. They end up falling asleep soon, the long week catching up with them, and while Ian watches Mickey’s sleeping form for a few minutes before he falls asleep as well, he resists the urge to bring his body closer and put his arm around Mickey’s waist. All in good time.


	6. Chapter 6

Ian wakes up first this time and rushes to make some breakfast. He makes some coffee and toasts and finds a tray to put everything in. He adds butter and peanut butter and brings it to the bedroom. He lays the tray on the bedside table, gently caressing Mickey’s face and calling his name to wake him up and being rewarded with a soft smile when Mickey opens his eyes. They eat in bed and Ian groans internally when he realizes he kind of wants to feed the other boy. As if having breakfast in bed wasn’t gay enough (as Mickey has already pointed out to him). They make out a bit more after they’re finished - now that Ian has had a taste of Mickey’s lips, he is not about to let it go. Making out turns into sex, of course, slow and languid at first, but quickly turned into fast and rough and Mickey has to cover both their mouths when he comes, reminding Ian that his sister might be asleep next door. Mickey cleans up hastily and puts his clothes back and it’s all Ian can do not to pout.

“You going out? I thought… I thought maybe we could spend more time together.” He raises his eyebrows suggestively, as if sex was all he was thinking about and not talking and watching a movie and maybe cuddling a little. Mickey doesn’t need to know all his thoughts.

The black-haired boy shakes his head though. “Sorry man, can’t. Rain check?”

“Yeah, sure.” Ian shrugs, hiding his disappointment. He gets dressed quickly, gathering his clothes from the floor. He manages to get ready before Mickey leaves, trying to leave as fast as possible to avoid an awkward conversation.


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the weekend passes quickly while Ian dreams about Mickey and before he knows it it’s Monday again and his time is being divided between school and work, as well as helping out at home. He’s next model gig is on Saturday, which means he won’t have to skip school or invent some excuse to his boss at the mini-market, but also that he won’t be able to see Mickey. They text a bit during the week, mostly mundane stuff and usually initiated by Ian, who can’t seem to get the other boy out of his head. Mickey does ask him to meet him on the weekend though, which Ian calls as a victory and a sign Mickey actually likes spending time with him. He hates to say no, but it’s also his brother’s birthday and it seems like things have accumulated. He calls Mickey to apologize.

“I can’t, sorry. Can you make it next Friday? I have a free weekend.”

“Shit, no, I have a date. Maybe Saturday?”

“A... date? As in…”

“Just a guy I met at a photo shoot.”

“Oh… I thought I was a guy you met at a photo shoot.”

Mickey laughs. “Hardly the only one, Ian Gallagher.”

Ian feels the ground collapsing under his feet. He wants to play cool and pretend he’s treating this as casually as Mickey, that he also sleeps around with other guys, but he feels the jealousy taking over his heart and mind.

“Fine!”, he spits out. “Have fun.”

“Whoa, whoa, what’s the tone of voice for?”

“I just… I hadn’t realized… I guess I’m more invested in this than you are.”

“Shit, you’re not falling in love with me, are you?”

There’s a long silence while Ian tries to keep his tears at bay.

“Fuck man, don’t be a girl! This is just sex. Good sex! Why ruin it with feelings?”

Ian can’t help the trembling in his voice when he replies. “Because I’m an idiot, apparently.”

“Hey man, come on. It doesn’t mean we can’t still bang!”

“Sorry, I…” Ian takes a deep breath, trying to stabilize his voice. “I don’t think I can do this.”

“Whatever. Your loss.”

Ian doesn’t even reply, just hangs up and throws the phone across the small bedroom. It falls on his brother’s mattress with an anti-climactic thump. Ian sighs and wipes his tears. He feels stupid for falling so hard so fast. He stands up and picks his phone back, deleting Mickey’s number before he can think too much about it. It’s better this way. He just wishes it were as easy to delete the boy from his mind.

Ian doesn’t think he’ll meet Mickey again, but it seems like the stars have other plans. It’s only a couple of months later when they meet again, in another photo shoot. This time Ian is photographing with three other young people - two girls and one boy - for a clothing store, wearing shorts and t-shirts and smiling a lot. They are introduced to the photographer and Mickey is introduced as the second photographer. They shake hands awkwardly and Ian avoids the other boy’s eyes, choosing to pretend they’ve never met before, let alone sucked each other’s dicks. During the shooting he can feel Mickey’s eyes on him all the time, and it’s a testimony for how good an actor he is when he grins at the camera, hiding the way his heart is crushed. He doesn’t speak to Mickey and Mickey doesn’t speak to him. He’s disappointed, but he knows it’s better this way. He’s rationalized that it was better the way it happened, before he fell in love completely or committed himself to the other boy. He ignores the part of him that says he already had.


	8. Chapter 8

Mickey Milkovich is a lucky man. Coming from a big criminal family that struggles to survive in one of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago, his most likely fate was to drop out of high school to get whatever job would have him so that he could help provide food for his family – that is, if he didn’t become a criminal himself. The stars seemed to have something else in mind for him, however, and at 29 years old he has managed to make himself a career in photography. He might not be the most renowned photographer – yet –, but he has his own studio in LA and takes photographies for many companies, including a prestigious and glamorous fashion magazine and, as far as he is concerned, his life is good. Really good. He has enough money to live a good life in a small but comfortable apartment, he has a car (it is LA, after all), he can afford to buy the stuff he wants and to eat good food. He even managed to send his sister some money for a while, before she got married. Mickey himself has never been married; far from it, he has never even had a real boyfriend, nor does he want to. He still manages to get laid often, has had some flings and some friends with benefits in the past, but never anything serious. He doesn’t do serious. The idea of falling in love seems ridiculous and dangerous - people in love get weak and vulnerable and do stupid shit and Mickey is not about to let that happen to him. He may be out of the Southside, but the Southside spirit is still in him. Sure, some guys have claimed to be in love with him in the past, but he was quick to ditch them, and he has never regretted it. Well, almost never. There is a guy who time and time again Mickey thinks about, most often when he’s jerking off: Ian Gallagher. It was ten years before and totally meaningless to Mickey, except it had been, as he recalls telling the redhead, one of the best fucks of his life. Young as he was back then, Ian Gallagher had certainly known what he was doing. Plus, he had a smoking body. Of course it doesn’t help Mickey the fact that Ian became a famous model, mostly for underwear, and that Mickey has to see his face (or rather, his body) all the freaking time, in magazines, in billboards, even on a recent TV commercial. What used to be a good-looking boy has turned into a magnificent-looking man, sexy and confident, and Mickey has used him as spank material many times. In fact, he’s even torn a page from one of the magazines and put it in his bathroom mirror. He felt stupid about it later and took it out, but kept it in his bedside table drawer. It was a really good picture.

So of course it’s easy for him to recognize Ian when he sees him right in front of him, even if he is wearing an incredibly stupid-looking Robin costume. There’s a guy next to him dressed as Batman, who Mickey supposes is Ian’s boyfriend. He rolls his eyes at the cliché of it.

He’s in an early Halloween party in NYC, where he had been taking pictures of a fashion event for the magazine. An old friend, also a photographer, invited him to a huge party thrown by a magazine editor, in a great part of the city and with celebrities walking all around, and for once Mickey is not working, only enjoying the free booze and the eye candies. His own costume is nothing more than skinny black pants and black formal shoes, put together with a white tee and a black leather jacket. Slicked up hair and a cigarette hanging from his mouth and he’s the perfect Danny Zuko. Well, a short Danny Zuko. He hopes no one will ask him to sing or dance though.

Mickey watches as Ian’s boyfriend (or whatever he is) chatters non-stop with some guys, Ian next to him absolutely silent and looking pissed off, even behind the mask. He makes eye contact with Mickey, who is leaning against the bar and sipping from his drink, and frowns. Mickey raises his eyebrows and smiles and sees the look of recognition pass through Ian’s face. He watches as Ian whispers something to the rest of the group, who doesn’t seem to take notice of it, and approaches him.

“My my, if it isn’t Ian Gallagher.”

“Mickey Milkovich. Long time no see.”

“That’s the worst pick-up line ever.”

Ian smiles and shakes his head. “I’m here with my boyfriend”, he says, turning around and pointing to Batman.

“I won’t tell if you don’t.”

Ian scoffs. “Oh, ‘cause that’s a better line.”

Mickey smiles. “Right, right… Nice costume!”

Ian nearly groans. “Josh made me wear it. I’m surprised you even recognized me!”

“Dude, your face is like, everywhere.”

“Oh. And here I was thinking you had remembered me.”

Mickey gets closer, voice getting low and seductive. “Of course I did. How could I forget?” There’s a long moment of silence while they look into each other’s eyes and Mickey knows Ian is thinking about the same thing he is, the moments they once spent in Mickey’s bed.

Ian sighs and shakes his head slightly, looking at his feet. “I can’t”, he whispers, so low Mickey almost doesn’t hear it.

“You still hate me?”

Ian looks back up, frowning. “I never hated you. I was angry with you, but only for a while. I… I really liked you, you know?” And there it is again, that intense stare between them, the sudden heat in the air around them, the electricity between their bodies.

Ian sighs again. “I have a boyfriend.”

“You’ve said that already.”

“I… I should go back.”

Mickey nods once and watches as Ian Gallagher walks away of his life. Again.


	9. Chapter 9

It’s been four days since Ian saw Mickey again and he can’t stop thinking about him. He looked nice, sexier than Ian remembered, and the flirting with Ian hadn’t helped. In Ian’s mind flash images of Mickey’s pale body twisting in pleasure, his pink tongue moistening his soft lips, his naked ass being roughly fucked, his tattooed fingers gripping the bed sheets. At first he tried not to think about it, focusing on other tasks or trying to picture Josh right after, but it’s been to no use. So he gave in and jerked off in the shower while thinking about the blue-eyed-boy that had once broken his heart, conjuring even more images of him, figuring once it was out of his system - literally - he’d be able to get over it. Still no success.

Ian calls Robert, the host of the Halloween party, and gets Mickey’s phone number. He tells himself it’s not because he wants to see Mickey again, but that maybe he just needs to be reminded what a jerk Mickey can be for the spell to be broken. Fact is, even after ten years, Mickey still has a huge effect on him. Ian remembers him as one of the best fucks of his life as well as very funny and inconspicuously sweet, although it’s not as if they were together for long enough for Ian to know him that well. Damn it, they weren’t even an actual couple, just guys who fucked a few times.

His hands are clammy and his heart is pounding while he waits for Mickey to pick-up.

“Hello?”

“Uhm, hi. This is Ian. Gallagher. I, erm… Got your number from Robert.”

“Who?”

“Uhm, Robert Wright. The, uhm, the host of the Halloween party.”

“Oh, right! Didn’t even know he had my number. He must have gotten it from my friend… Well, whatever. I’m sure you didn’t call to talk about them. Right?”

“No, I erm… I was wondering if you’d like to grab a coffee or… Something.”

“Sure. Today?”

“What?”

“I said ‘today?’”

“You’re free today?”

“Wouldn’t have suggested it if I wasn’t. Are you?”

“Right! And yes, actually, I am.”

“Alright then. What do you suggest?”

“There’s this nice café I go to sometimes, it’s in the Upper East Side. I can text you the address. Could you meet me there in… one hour?”

“Sure. Café in the Upper East Side in one hour. Got it.”

“Great, it’s a date! I mean, not a _date_ date. Just a friends date. I have boyfriend.”

“You say that a lot, you know that? Who are you trying to remind of that, me or yourself?”

And even long after he’s hung up the phone Ian can’t find the answer to that question.


	10. Chapter 10

The first thing Ian notices when he sees Mickey is that he looks _good_.  He’s wearing dark jeans and a light blue sweater that matches his eyes, covered by the same leather jacket from the party. He walks towards Ian with a slight smile and Ian grins broadly. Mickey slips into the booth in front of him and looks at the mess on the table, raising his eyebrows.

“Are you on a personal vendetta against peanuts?”

Ian looks down to see a lot of peeled seeds and blushes. He had hardly been paying attention to what he was doing.

“Sorry, nervous habit.”

“Do I make you nervous?”

They stare into each other’s eyes and Ian blushes. He looks away hastily and raises his hand to call the waitress, who approaches them with a smile. He asks to see the menu and she brings one for each of them.

Ian opens the menu and scans his options. It doesn’t matter much, anyway. He’s been to this café enough times to know everything’s good, and anyway the food is just an excuse. What really matters, the real reason why he’s here, is Mickey. Mickey who is sitting in front of him, their legs nearly touching under the table. Mickey, whose musky perfume is making him already aroused. Mickey, who has stopped looking at the menu and now is looking at Ian again, eyes bearing into him like he wants to fuck him here and now, right on this table. He feels Mickey’s calf press against his own and startles, but doesn’t move away. Ian opens his mouth, not really sure what to say. _Stop that. I have a boyfriend. I missed you. Kiss me. Fuck me._ He settles for something more casual.

“The hot cocoa here is really good.”

Mickey smirks. “Well, it’s decided then.”

They order hot cocoas, his with cream, Mickey’s with liquor, and two slices of pie – pumpkin for him, key lime for Mickey.

“So, what have you been up to?” Ian asks, trying to dissipate the tension.

“In the last ten years?  Fuck man, a lot! Moved to LA, have a studio there for like, six years already. Getting some good cash.”

“So why are you in New York for?”

“Business. Came to photograph some events, but I’m going back home in a few days.”

“Oh. So soon?”

“Yup. Which means, if you wanna get on me, you’d better not wait long. Seize the day and all that shit.”

“I…I told you I have a boyfriend.”

“Yeah, I heard you the first fifty times. And I told you I don’t care. That means nothing to me.”

“It does to me.”

“So why did you even call me here?”, Mickey asked, scoffing.

“Just… I… Uhm…”

Mickey grinned. “That’s what I thought.”

Ian is saved from answering by the waitress bringing their drinks and food. They eat in silence, savoring the warm drink on this chilly day. After a couple of minutes he feels a socked foot slide up his calf and tenses, nearly choking on his pie. He glares at Mickey, who is drinking his hot cocoa innocently, as if he weren’t teasing Ian under the table. He leans back on his seat and takes a piece of pie into his mouth, his foot slowly making his way to Ian’s crotch. Ian doesn’t protest, doesn’t move, hardly breathes, frozen in place and watching as Mickey sensuously licks the fork he’s eating with while he gently presses the sole of his foot against Ian’s cock. Ian frantically looks around the café, but they’re in the corner of the last booth in the row, no one beside them and Mickey’s actions under the table impossible to be noticed by anyone else in the room. Mickey himself has his back to the door and the other people, so it’s Ian who has to try to control himself and school his face while Mickey makes his cock hard and straining against the zipper of his jeans. He bites his lower lip, but can’t help but gasp when Mickey’s toes press against the head of his dick. He looks around, feeling guilty, and nearly jumps from his seat, forcing Mickey to move.

“Bathroom”, is all he manages to blurt out as an excuse before he’s leaping and running toward the men’s room.

The bathroom is thankfully empty, both stalls unoccupied, and Ian leans against the stone sink, head bowed and  hands gripping the edge so hard his knuckles start turning white. Mickey is only a few seconds behind him, his body flush against Ian’s back, his cock also hard on his pants and pressing against Ian’s ass. Ian raises his head to stare at Mickey through the mirror ahead, mouth hanging open with his labored breaths. Mickey sneaks his hands around Ian’s waist, one of them pressing Ian’s chest back, making him lean fully against Mickey, while the other goes south, cupping Ian’s erection. Ian lets out a chocked moan, giving in and covering Mickey’s hands of with his own, making him stroke his cock up and down a few times. He keeps staring at Mickey through the mirror, eyes hooded with desire, meeting Mickey’s own lustful stare. Mickey frees his hand and moves to open Ian’s pants, but Ian shakes his head slightly, protesting.

“Someone could come”, he whispers, biting his lip when he feels Mickey’s hand wrap around his naked cock.

“Ain’t that goal?”

“Asshole. I mean… into the bathroom.”

Mickey smirks and bites Ian’s earlobe, whispering seductively into his ear. “What’s life without a little risk?”

Mickey moves his hand faster, his other hand caressing Ian’s stomach and holding him steady. Ian bucks his hips back and forth, trapped between the pressure of Mickey’s erection and the strokes of his hand. He allows himself to get lost in the sensation, closing his eyes and focusing on the feeling of Mickey’s hands, on the heat emanating from his body, on the perfume of his cologne filling his nostrils. It feels like merely a minute before he’s coming all over the sink, Mickey’s hand milking him dry. Ian opens his eyes again, and the sight of his own face flustered in the mirror, as well as Mickey’s hand on his cock with cum all around is enough to sober him up. Feeling guiltier than he ever remembers being, he pushes Mickey off him, quickly adjusting his boxers and pants again.

“Shit! Shit shit shit, what have I done? What have _you_ done?”

“What? Hey, you wanted this as much as I did. Chill out, man, it was nothing.”

“Shit, shit, fuck!” Still swearing, Ian adjusts his clothes and runs a hand through his hair. He gets his wallet from the inside pocket of his jacket and pretty much throws a twenty at Mickey. “Here, pay them!” He leaves, agitated, hurrying out of the café, and leaving a very frustrated Mickey behind.

Mickey looks at the twenty on his hand, at the cum still staining the sink and down at his own erection.

“Fucker gave me blue balls!”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mickey texts are in bold.  
> Ian texts are in bold and italics.

The next few days are very busy for Mickey, and he moves on with his agenda without thinking again about Ian Gallagher. Much. He’s still mad at him for leaving him like that in the café. Damn guy with morals! Mickey can understand that Ian is actually a nice guy that doesn’t want to cheat on his boyfriend, but then why tease Mickey? Why accept his advances? Had he been too forceful, pushed too much? Ian had never said a flat out ‘no’, though, just repetead that he had a boyfriend. Mickey sighs while he finishes packing his bag to go back to LA. Maybe he had indeed pushed Ian to do something he hadn’t felt comfortable with. Taking his phone, he sends the redhead a quick text.

 

**Sorry**

 

It’s all he can say, and it’s already too much. Mickey hardly ever apologizes, can’t remember the last time he did. The fact that he’s doing it now is already proof of how highly he considers Ian and how shitty he feels. The message he gets back makes him feel even worse.

 

**_Please don’t contact me again._ **

 

He sighs. So be it. He closes his bag and leaves.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mickey texts are in bold.  
> Ian texts are in bold and italics.  
> Josh texts are in bold and underlined.

Ian can’t stop thinking about Mickey Milkovich. It’s even worse than before. He sees him everywhere, in every short guy with black hair he passes on the street, in every tattooed person he crosses, in every photography he spots. Everything reminds him of the photographer and it’s driving him crazy. Old memories and new memories fuse together fueling his desire and taking him on a guilt trip every time. He hasn’t told Josh about it, of course. He still likes the other guy, cares for him. But Josh is no Mickey. Josh with his fake tan and his blond hair and no tattoos in his body. Josh who doesn’t make Ian hard with a mere look, who doesn’t tease him and doesn’t take risks. Josh who doesn’t like to blow him and doesn’t like rim jobs and doesn’t like to get messy. Josh who barely has sexwith him anymore, even though they’ve been together for less than six months. Boring, predictable Josh. It makes Ian wonder what he was even doing with him in the first place. He knows it though. Josh is good-looking and polite and all smiles and there’s not a single person who doesn’t like Josh. Josh is likable. But if you venture too close, you see, like Ian has seen, that Josh is _too_ likable. He tries too hard to make people like him and gets pushed around all the time, ending up a pussy. He’s Mickey total opposite and holy shit, it’s no wonder Ian was attracted to him - he’s been dating Mickey opposites all his life. He had his heart broken only once, and then learned his lesson. Men like Mickey, daring and provocative and fun, they’d ruin your life, leave you broken and battered. So Ian avoided them like the plague. Men like Josh - secure and stable - that’s what’s best for Ian, that’s what he should want. Except he doesn’t. He’s convinced himself for years that he did, but all it took was Mickey barging back into his life for him to notice he hadn’t been _living_. His life was nice, but all days looked the same and there was no excitement. Whereas with Mickey, his mere presence was enough to get Ian all jittery inside. He groans and covers his face with his hands. What is he doing? He’s got to stop thinking about Mickey. He’s got a boyfriend, a _nice_ boyfriend, someone who doesn’t deserve what Ian’s doing. His phone buzzes and lets his hands fall and glances at it.

 

A text from Mickey. A single word.

 

**Sorry**

 

Ian sighs, making a decision. He gets the phone and quickly sends a reply.

 

**_Please don’t contact me again._ **

 

It’s as formal and as cold as he can manage at the moment and he sets the phone back on the bedside table and falls onto the bed, covering his face with his arms. Sorry. What was he even sorry for? For teasing Ian even though he’d said he had a boyfriend? Sure, that hadn’t been right, but Ian was an adult and could have walked away at any time. The fact that he hadn’t was his own weakness, not Mickey’s. For breaking his heart? Yeah, that had been hurtful, but Ian now understands that he’d let his own heart take him away, even though Mickey never said anything about being exclusive and they’d met only a few times. It was his own fault again, not Mickey’s. He can’t force Mickey to love him. And that’s why he can’t be with him. He needs to be loved, to be cared for, and Mickey is just in it for the fun. No, Ian can’t rely on a guy like Mickey.What he needs was a guy like Josh.

 

The problem is, for the past week, everytime he wanted to see his boyfriend, Josh had been busy. The only time they’d managed to meet was on Sunday, and Josh had wanted to go to dinner, and then after that to the theatre, and by the time they’d left the theatre, he’d claimed to be too tired and had let Ian to go home by himself. So Ian decides to take matters into his hands, so to speak. Getting his phone again, he sends Josh a quick text.

 

**_Miss U_ **

 

When he doesn’t a reply after five minutes, he sends another.

 

**_Can I see you tonite? Your place? I’ll cook._ **

 

This time he gets a reply.

 

** Sure, 8 o’clock. **

 

**_Sounds great. I’ll be thinking of you the whole afternoon, picturing your cock in my mouth, all hard and wet._ **

 

** Ian! Don’t send this kind of messages! I’m at work, someone could read them. **

 

**_Sorry. I’ll see you later._ **

 

Ian sighs as he settles the phone on the bedside table again. Man, Josh was boring!


	13. Chapter 13

He gets to Josh’s apartment at 8 pm on the dot and is greeted with a quick peck on the lips. He deepens the kiss and Josh lets him, but only for a minute before he’s pulling away, laughing.

 

“Easy, tiger. I need a shower. Weren’t you going to cook?”

 

So Ian makes some salad and a spinash and mushroom lasagna (Josh is a vegeterian) while Josh takes what has got to be the longest shower ever. They eat it with some wine, while Josh tells Ian all about his week and his job and the new case he’s taken - he’s a corporative lawyer, a topic that couldn’t interest Ian less, and the redhead makes an effort not to fall asleep while he listens. But his mind drifts off to Mickey again, and he can’t have that. He stands up suddenly and moves around the table. He pulls Josh’s chair back and straddles his hips, his hand cupping his head, and crashes their mouths together.

Josh puts his hands on Ian’s shoulders and pushes him back gently.

“What are you doing? I was talking.”

“Yeah, and I was listening, but I got horny.” He brushes their noses together, running his hands down Josh’s chest. “I want you”, he whispers, leaning in for another kiss. Josh allows him to kiss him this time, and actually kisses back, but stops again when Ian’s hands start unbottoning his shirt.

“Ian, we’re in the living room.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“There’s no lube in the living room.”

Ian sighs, figuring out how to tell Josh that not every sexual activity requires lube, but gives up, opting to stand up. “Well, bedroom then.” He takes Josh’s hand and starts leading him to the bedroom, but Josh doesn’t budge.

“I haven’t finished my dinner yet.”

Ian groans. “We’ll finish it later.”

“But we can’t just leave everything here, it’ll attract insects.”

“Oh my god, will you just let loose a little?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Stop being so… so… boring!”

“I’m not boring, I just do what’s right.”

“Yes, you do, all the time! You’re polite and respectful and I can’t take it anymore! For once could you just grab me and have your way with me without worrying about anything else?”

“Well, I’m sorry if you think I’m boring.”

“Yes, I do, and that’s exactly why I cheated on you!”

The echo of his shout reverberates around the walls. Josh goes pale and Ian wonders if now, finally, he’ll gather a reaction from your boyfriend.

“Leave.” It’s the only thing to come out of his boyfriend’s mouth, low and fast.

“What?”

“Leave”, Josh repeats, a bit louder.

“That’s all you’re going to say? I fucked someone else! I sucked his dick on a public restroom, pounded into his ass right there on the floor, made him come all over my chest!” It’s a lie, and a big one, but he’s so done with it he doesn’t care anymore, all he wants is a reaction from Josh. Go big or go home, right? “Aren’t you going to tell me to fuck off? Don’t you want to yell at me? Aren’t you mad at me?” He’s the one doing the yelling, his face red and his eyes wide.

He sees Josh’s eyes water and his Adam’s apple move while he swallows.

“Please, just leave.” His voice is again low and pleading and choked out and Ian sighs.

“I’m sorry.” He takes his jacket from the hanger and puts it on, looking at Josh one last time. “I’m really sorry.”

He leaves without looking back and wonders when he became the one who breaks the hearts.


	14. Chapter 14

He knows how he should be feeling: sad, angry, guilty, remorseful. But he doesn’t feel any of those things. Instead he feels unlimited and carefree, nearly giddy with the possibilities. He understands now what he had been doing all along: trying to find the anti-Mickey. Expect it was never going to work, he doesn’t want an anti-Mickey, he wants a Mickey, he wants _the_ Mickey, Mickey Milkovich, the man who broke - no, he didn’t really break his heart, did he? He stole it. He stole it and never gave back and that’s why it’s always hurt.

He’s barely out of Josh’s building when he calls Mickey. The phone rings a few times before getting to voicemail. He considers for a split second leaving a message, but it’s not the kind of thing you want to leave a voicemail about. He hardly knows what exactly he wants to say anyway. So he goes home, tired from the day events, but restless nonetheless. He tries calling Mickey again, but still gets nothing. He doesn’t want to text him either, so he resignates himself for the night and goes to sleep. He dreams of gelled up hair, strong hands and blue eyes.

He manages to wait until 10 am before calling, but by then he’s already fidgety, finding all sorts of small things to do around the house. He calls and finally Mickey answers, voice low and rough.

“Hello?”

“Were you sleeping? It’s 10 o’clock! Rise and shine, sleepyhead!”

“Ian? It’s10 for you, asshole. It’s like… 7 here.”

“Oh, shit! You’re back in California.”

“I fucking told you I was only in New York for a few days.”

“Yeah, I know, but… I was kinda hoping to see you again before you left.”

“Really? Because the way I remembered it you told me not to contact you again.”

“Can’t a man change his mind?”

“What about the boyfriend?”

“Out of the picture.”

“What? Shit!” There’s a long pause where Ian can hear Mickey moving around, probably in his bed. “Shit man, please tell me you didn’t do it for me. Fuck, Ian, why do you always have to be all or nothing? First we fuck a few times and you’re already all over me, thinking you’re in love or some shit. Now I give you a handjob and you break up with your boyfriend? Fuck man, are you crazy or something?”

Ian’s voice is stone cold when he answers. “I’m not crazy. And not that it matters to you, but I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder a while ago. But I take my meds and see the doctor and fuck you for being such a self-centered prick that you think everything I do revolves around you. It doesn’t. I broke up with Josh for me, because I needed it, because I wanted it, because I was not in love with him any more, don’t think I ever was for that matter. I did it for myself, not for you!” His voice raised in a crescendo and he paused, panting. “I just thought we could fool around while you were here, that’s all. And yeah, maybe I was still in love with you, might still be, but don’t worry, I’ll get over it.  Have a fucking nice day!”

He hungs up before Mickey can say anything and throws himself on the couch. his heart is threatening to explode on his chest and he wipes tears he hadn’t even noticed he had shed. He doesn’t know where all those words came from - they were definitely not what he’d meant to tell Mickey. It happened nonetheless, and now he’s got nothing else to do but pick up the pieces and move on. Later. For now, only for now, he’ll allow himself to cry.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again, Mickey's texts are bolded and Ian's texts are bolded and in italics. Oh, and there's smut.

Mickey stares at his phone for a few seconds, dumbfounded. Had he been too harsh on Ian? He opens the drawer of his nightstand and rumages through it until he finds what he wants at the bottom. Ian’s picture, the one he’d kept in this same drawer for years. Shit. He was the one doing the pining, not Ian. He was the one who’d always wanted a second chance and jumped at the chance when he thought he’d gotten one, and then proceeded to screw everything up. Again. He sighs. He wonders if he can fix it, if it’s even worth it. Ian lives in New York, it’s not like they can have a relationship or anything. So what does he want? A chance to have sex with Ian if he’s ever in New York again? No, it’s more than that. He thinks about the ginger guy’s smile and his laughter and the twinkle in his eyes and his stomach turns. Ian is a nice guy. A guy he’d like to keep around in his life. There are not many people Mickey wants around, that make him feel comfortable enough to be who he truly is without being ashamed of himself. Not enough people who don’t make him want to tear their eye sockets out with a fork either. He gently strokes a finger down the magazine page, then takes his phone and snaps a picture of it, quickly sending it to Ian before he changes his mind.

When he doesn’t get a reply after a few minutes, he texts him.

**Ian?**

Nothing, so he keeps trying.

**Just answer me man.**

**Look I’m sorry ok.**

**You were right, I was thinking about myself.**

**That picture of you is mine, btw. Just in case you were wondering.**

**Ian?**

**I keep it in my drawer ok? Have for like years or something.**

**It’s my go to jerk off material alright? I confess damn it.**

**_Are you jerking off right now?_ **

It’s the first reply he gets after half a dozen messages and it makes him raise his eyebrows. How on Earth should he respond to that? He isn’t, but should he say he is? Will Ian be upset if he is, or does he want him to be? He sends back another question.

**Should I be?**

**_Yes._ **

The answer is short and to the point and has Mickey reaching for his limp cock to give it a few strokes.

**_Touch yourself. I want you to look at my picture and touch your cock and imagine it’s my hand around it, my lips on your neck, sucking and biting._ **

Holy shit! That was a quick change of attitude! The words seem to go straight to his cock, which is hardening by the second. Mickey runs his thumb through the slit and shivers.

**_Are you doing that?_ **

**Yes** He types the as fast as he can with only one hand. **are you?**

**_Yeah but I don’t have anything to look at._ **

Mickey grins. He knows an invitation when he sees one. He throws the covers to the ground haphazardly and leans back completely. Angling his phone so that it’s close to his crotch and as if someone else was seeing it, he snaps a picture, hoping it turns out alright. It’s a bit out of frame, but he doubts Ian will care about this. He quickly sends it and gives his cock a few more tugs. He has an idea and kneels on the bed, getting on all fours. He stretches his arm, snaps a slightly blurry picture of his ass and sends it as well.

**_Shit I’d forgotten what a nice ass you have. Put some fingers in there for me._ **

Mickey’s hands shake as he gets the lube from this nightstand and pour some on his fingers, rubbing them against each other to warm it. He sits on his ankles and pushes one finger inside. His phone buzzes and lights from where it lies in thebed, displaying a message. He tilts his head to read it.

**_want u 2 imagine its my fingers inside you, finger banging you and stretching you good for my cock_ **

He inserts a second finger, which is quickly followed by a third one. He takes a few deep breathes while his body adjusts and then rotates them, angling towards his prostate. He hisses and bites his lip, welcoming the pressure. He retrieves his phone with his free hand takes another picture of his ass, three fingers shoved inside.

**_holy shit thats so hot. yor ass is so fucking good and tight wanna fuck it so much_ **

**me 2**

**thinking about your big cock inside me fucking me hard and good**

He moves his fingers in and out with an increased pace, struggling to brush the right spot as much as possible. He wraps his other hand around his cock and pumps it furiously, panting.

**_fuck im close_ **

He is too, but he’s not about to stop to answer it. He keeps moving his hands frantically for a couple more minutes and then he’s coming all over his stomach and bed, barely avoiding his phone. He quickly wipes his hand on the sheets and gets his phone again. He snaps a last picture, of his cock already softening and his stomach still covered in come.

**you come yet?**

It’s about a minute until he gets a reply.

**_I did now._ **

He chuckles and falls back onto the bed, smiling.

**That was good. Thanks.**

**_Anytime ;)_ **

Oh god, he hopes that’s a promise!


	16. Chapter 16

They text back-and-forth a few times, sometimes sexy texts and pics, sometimes just about random stuff they see or hear and feel like sharing. Once Mickey even calls Ian so they can talk dirty things through the phone and it’s one of the sexiest experiences of Ian’s life, even withouth real skin contact. Hearing Mickey’s voice low and rough telling him all the things he’d like to do with him makes him hard almost instantly and his dragged moans and panted breaths make him come quicker than he cares to admit. He keeps telling himself not to take this too seriously and fall for Mickey again, tries his hardest not to daydream about it or read too much into it. He knows Mickey is on the other side of the country and that even if he were in New York he wouldn’t want anything more than this anyway, and really, what they have now is good. They’re friends who like to help each other orgasm sometimes, and it’s so far from where they were only a couple of weeks before it’s hard to believe harsh words had ever been spoken. He doesn’t know where this will go or when it’ll end, but he’ll take what he has and enjoy it for now. He doesn’t believe he will ever even see Mickey again, so it’s a bit of a shock - hell, a lot of a shock - to see him standing in a bar stool in downtown Chicago.

“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, you walk into mine.” He leans his elbow on the counter and smiles when Mickey looks up and does his signature eyebrow raise.

“You quoting Casablanca to me? You got fucking classy, man.”

“Didn’t even think you’d recognize it. So, you come here often?”

“And here I was, thinking your pick up lines had gotten better.”

Ian laughs and sits next to Mickey, ordering a coke. “You know what I mean. You didn’t tell me you were coming to Chicago.”

Well, neither did you. And I wasn’t, anyway. My sister insisted so much I ended up having to. Turns out she wanted to tell me she’s got a bun in the oven.”

“Really? Well, congrats! First nephew or niece?”

“Yeah. At least first that I know of. I probably have others, but I don’t care.”

“You’ve got other siblings? I thought it was only one sister.”

“Nah, man, bunch of older brothers, but I haven’t talked to them in years. Ever since I came out in our father’s funeral.”

“You did what?!”

“Yup. I was drunk and sad, but at the same time feeling free for the first time in my life. Always thought my dad would kill me if he found out I was gay - he was a motherfucker asshole, racist and nazist and fucking hated faggots. It was a last ‘fuck you’, you know? I saw his body laying there and I knew I’d never see him again and I just said it, blurted it all out, for everyone to hear it. It was a fucking disaster. Many teeth and ribs broken that night, and they’ve never talked to me anymore. Not that I cared much. I was already sharing an apartament with Mandy - that’s my sister. I moved to LA soon after and hardly ever got back anyway. Kept in touch with her and no one else. So yeah, maybe I do have a nephew or a niece - hell, I probably have a bunch of them already-, but I don’t care. For all intents and purposes, this is the first one.”

Ian stares at him, unsure of what to say. It’s the most he’s ever told him about his family and he doesn’t really know how to react, if he should even try to cheer him up about it or just change the subject. Luckly, Mickey does that himself.

“What about you? Home for the holidays?”

“Yeah, I kinda have to. If I don’t come home for Thanksgiving every year my older sister will throw a hissy fit. And she can be a bitch, so I’d rather obey her.” Mickey smiles and Ian decides to let his guard down a bit more. If Mickey can tell him about a hurtful memory, Ian can do it too.

“It’s because of the bipolar stuff, you know. When I was first diagnosed… I wasn’t here, you see. I was living in New York and didn’t even realize there was something wrong at first. I was going to parties and getting wasted all the time and using hard drugs and just couldn’t fucking focus on anything - even pissed of my agent, who threatened to revoke my contract - and eventually did. I was already in a manic episode, and maybe someone from my family would have noticed the symptoms - our mom is bipolar, it’s nothing we hadn’t seen already. But I myself didn’t notice, and I didn’t have a boyfriend or anyone close enough to realize it and then… Then it was too late. The depression got to me and I wouldn’t leave my bed at all. I didn’t answer my family calls or talk to anyone, didn’t even open the door. It was a miracle nothing worse happened. It was my 21st birthday and they all called me several times and got really worried when I didn’t answer at all. So they called the police and they literally broke down my door in the middle of the afternoon and found me… in bed, not really doing anything, just… catatonic. They saved my life. I was sent to a hospital, then transferred here. I was prescribed meds and started attending thereapy and eventually things got back to normal, but my brothers and sisters weren’t so easily convinced. They refused to let me go back to New York, even though I assured them I could take care of myself. New York has a much larger market for modelling and my agent was inclined to take me back, after I explained the situation and apologized for my behaviour, but my family was adamant on me staying here. I had to beg them to let me go and swear I would keep taking my meds and seeing a doctor there, and even then they made me promise to keep in touch regularly. I had to keep them updated through the internet and call at least once a week and come home every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas and also on special occasions - like when my sister got married. So… here I am!”

To his credit, Mickey listens to the whole story without even flinching. “Lucky me, then. So, wanna get out of here and bang?”

Ian chuckles and grins. “I missed your bluntness. Sure, let me just…” He points to a thin young man who’s chatting up a girl in a booth. “That’s my brother. I’m here as his wingman, not that he seems to need me. I’ll just let him know I’m going.”

He quickly alerts an annoyed Carl to his whereabouts and when he turns around Mickey is already by the door. Since he’s staying at his brother’s and Mickey’s staying at his sister’s, they end up going to the nearest motel they can find. It’s not a five stars, but not that terrible either. Not that they care. It has a bed and a door that locks and that’s enough for them.

Their lips lock as soon as the door is closed behind them and articles of clothing soon start falling to the floor, leaving a trail to the bed, where they fall unceremoniously.

It’s rushed and frantic and with almost zero foreplay. Ian’s lips and teeth explore Mickey’s body leaving red trails down his chest and stomach, down his hips and legs. His fingers prepare him hurriedly, aiming for stretching him and not pleasuring him yet. He enters him with a long groan and Mickey’s open mouth produces no sound but a soft sigh. They move in synchrony at a fast pace, seeking the sweet release they’ve both been longing for. Time seems to stop just for them and the only thing that matters in the world are their intertwined bodies and the movements they make, the friction between their sweaty skins and the rhythm of their ragged breaths, the bites and kisses and moans shared until they’re both screaming in ecstasy and collapsing exhausted on the mattress.

Mickey recovers first. “Not that I didn’t like the texting thing, but this was way better!”

Ian laughs. “I was craving your body so much anything we did was bound to be amazing.” 

Mickey turns on his side facing Ian and smears the cum on his stomach, making an even bigger mess.

“Hey!”

“What? We’re gonna have to shower anyway.”

Ian raises an eyebrow. “Wanna do it now?”

Mickey moves to straddle Ian’s hips and hold his arms beside his head.

“I want to get dirtier first!”

 

Ian walks back to his brother’s house many hours later humming under his breath, nearly dancing with happiness. An unexpected encounter with Mickey would be enough to make him happy, but the amazing sex that had followed had him beyond happy. After they’d exhausted themselves, they went out for deep dish pizza and talked some more, about jobs and sports and music and just random nonsense.

Lip arches his eyebrow when Ian walks him.

“Well, you look happy. Thought you were going out with Carl.”

“I did. And then I left him. Ran into a old acquaintance.”

“Acquaintance you had sex with?”

Ian can’t hide his smile. “A few times.”

“A few times in total or a few times today?”

Ian feels his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“Both. Is the questioning over? I’m beat.”

“Yeah, yeah, good night, Romeo.”

Ian flips him the bird and leaves him watching TV on the living room.


	17. Chapter 17

He texts Mickey the next morning, but he has a full agenda, having promised to help his sister with some stuff for the baby. The next day is Ian’s turn to be busy, a big lunch for family and friends scheduled at his sister’s house. He manages to ditch them in the middle of the afternoon, having to hear a chorus of wolf-whistling and general teasing from everyone. He blushes a bit, but doesn’t mind it much. It’s Mickey’s last night in Chicago and Ian’s last chance to see him in god knows how long. He’s even booked a hotel room this time, wanting to guarantee they’d have privacy and comfort. It’s in a good hotel this time, a large suite with a jacuzzi in the bathroom and a great view of the city, and if that isn’t what Ian’s money is for, then what is? He’s also bought Mickey and early Christmas present, a photography book about advertisment he hopes he’ll appreciate it. He’s wondered for a little bit if it’d be too much, but decided to just buy it anyway. He knows Mickey won’t have anything for him, but he doesn’t care, he just wanted to give him something he’d appreciate. And that was a testimony of how deep he was in this already. He looks at the book wrapped up in cheerful colors on his lap, while he waits in the lobby for Mickey to arrive. He knows what Mickey will say already – that this isn’t serious, that they are just friends and there is no reason to give him a present. He sighs and puts it back into his bag. He is still going to give it to Mickey, but maybe it’s be better to wait until after they’ve fucked and he is feeling more relaxed.

No sooner has he closed the bag than Mickey walks into the hotel, smiling broadly when he sees Ian waiting for him. Ian grins back, wanting nothing more than to do everything in his power to make sure Mickey will smile like that forever. Well, shit.

They check in and are guided to their room. Mickey whistles when he walkes inside.

“Wow, Ian Gallagher! I feel like one of those expensive whores that old rich dudes take to fancy hotels to hide from their wives.”

They set their begs aside and take of their jackets, then sit on the bed, staring at each other for all of five seconds before attacking each other’s mouths. Mickey’s tongue devoures his and his lips are wet and warm. He tastes of cigarettes and whisky and Ian kisses him back in earnest, hands holding his waist firmly. Mickey breakes the kiss after a few long minutes and bumps his nose against Ian’s.

“On your back.” He stands up and points to the back of the bed. While Ian lies on the pillows, Mickey quickly takes off his sweater and shirt, his pants remaining. He kneels on the bed between Ian’s legs and presses his body down on him, kissing him again. Ian brings his hands around Mickey’s head and waist, holding him tightly against himself while they kiss with abandon. He runs his hands up Mickey’s bare back, appreciating the firm muscles he can feel there. Mickey’s lips leave his mouth to kiss down his neck and he turns his head sideways to give him more access, humming in appreciation. Mickey licks and sucks his way down, pausing only to open the buttons to Ian’s shirt tortuously slowly. It’s the opposite of the last time, when they were desperate to fuck. This time they are relaxed, taking all the time in the world, enjoying the opportunity they’ve found to spend some more hours together.

Mickey’s teeth and tongue and hands seem to be everywhere, caressing and teasing Ian in every single centimeter of his skin, making him squirm and arch beneath him, soft moans escaping through his bitten lips. He sucks his nipples and licks at his abs and bites at his hips, leaving Ian hard and straining against his pants. Mickey looks into his eyes, blue meeting green, and smirks. He opens Ian’s pants and pulls them down along with his underwear, sliding out of the bed and standing up to get it all out. Ian leans up on his elbows to watch as Mickey rummages through his bag. He pulls a box of condoms, some tissues and a bottle of lube out and settle them on the nightstand and Ian bites his lower lip thinking about all the amazing ways they’ll get to use that. Mickey goes back to the bag though, and the next items he pulls out makes him frown: some ties.

“Sit up.”

Ian obeys, intrigued. Mickey sits behind him and pulls his arms back, holding his wrists together.

“May I?”, he asks, turning his head to look at Ian’s face while asking for his consent. Ian nods eagerly. “Hell yes!” Mickey smiles and kisses his lips tenderly. He ties Ian’s wrists behind his back and Ian scoots up on the bed, resting against the headboard, anticipating the rest of Mickey’s plan. With his hands literally tied, the most obvious thing for them to do is for Mickey to ride him – unless he plans to fuck him, which they’ve never even talked about doing. Mickey doesn’t leave him wondering for long. He quickly discards the rest of his clothes and straddles Ian, sitting on his legs and kissing him deeply, hands gripping the sides of his head possessively. He leans down to place a soft kiss on the head of Ian’s erection and Ian groans and curses. Smiling, Mickey takes the condom and rolls it down Ian’s cock, covering it with lubricant, giving it a few strokes while he spreads it. He positions his body closer to Ian and the redhead wonders if Mickey aims to get fucked without any preparation, but the older man reaches behind himself and pulls out a butt plug, moaning deeply and closing his eyes when it leaves his body. Ian arches an eyebrow.

“What? Didn’t want to waste any time.” He grins and kisses Ian again, and before he knows it he’s feeling  Mickey’s walls around him while he gets Ian’s dick inside him. They both groan into the kiss as Mickey starts moving slowly, barely an inch of Ian in and out of him with every movement. They keep kissing, nipping at lips and jaws and necks and shoulders, while Mickey’s movements get wilder and he wraps his hands around Ian’s neck for support. His short nails scratch Ian’s back, clawing at the tender skin, leaving deep red marks and drawing blood when he comes. He feels Ian come with him, biting down his shoulder when he fills the condom, groaning into Mickey’s skin and letting his head fall back onto the headboard. Mickey tenderly moves removes the hair that hand clung to his sweaty forehead and takes his faces between his palms. He caresses Ian’s cheeks with his thumbs and kisses his lips gently and Ian feels like his heart is going to explode with the amount of happiness he’s feeling. He kisses back, pouring his heart into the kiss, trying to get Mickey to understand how much he cares, and that it’s okay if Mickey is not there yet, he can wait. For Mickey Milkovich, he’ll wait forever.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's rimming in this chapter, so turn around if you're not comfortable with it.

They lie together in bed in fluffy bathrobes, limbs intertwined while they smoke a cigarette and drink some champagne. Mickey has mocked him for ordering something fancy instead of plain old beer, but seems to be enjoying it, already on his third glass. They’ve ordered room service, complete with a large dinner and dessert, and are now relaxing and regaining their energy for round four.

Ian gets out of bed and opens his bag. He takes the package out and tosses it onto the bed. Mickey raises his eyebrows, taking a last drag from the cigarette and putting it out in the crystal ashtray on the nightstand.

“Early Christmas present. It’s nothing much, I just… I just saw it and thought you’d like it.” He shrugs and sits in front of Mickey, trying to hold his nerves together as Mickey opens the present. Mickey tears the wrapping paper, his eyes widening when he sees what it is.

“Shit, man, thanks! This guy is a legend!”

Ian grins. “Did I do good then?”

“Definitely! It’s great! Fuck! I’ve got nothing for you though. I mean, I didn’t think…”

“Nah, that’s fine. I wasn’t expecting a present. I just wanted to give you this. Your smile is enough retribution for me.” He scrunches up his nose as soon as he says it. “Ugh, that was incredibly…”

“Gay?”

“I was going to say sappy, but yeah, that too. Sorry.”

Mickey shakes his head and carefully places the book on the floor next to the bed.

“Ian, you know…”

Ian waves his hands in front of him. “We’re just friends, I know, I know. I didn’t mean to imply anything else, I swear. I know this is just casual and all. This was a friend’s gift, ok?”

Mickey sighs and leans forward. “I like you, Ian Gallagher. You’re a nice guy, a good company, and you fuck like a pro. If I were ever to be in an actual relationship, you’d be the perfect candidate for it. But I don’t want a relationship. I don’t do relationships. And we live way too fucking far anyway. But I do like you.”

Ian can’t help but grin. This is a lot more then he’d ever expected to hear from Mickey and he kind of wants to pinch himself to make sure he’s awake. He closes the distance between them and presses his lips over Mickey’s. When he pulls back, Mickey is smirking. “And who says I don’t have a gift for you?”

Ian grins wickedly. “Oh, yeah? And what is it?”

“I was thinking you’d like a rim job? Since we’re squeaky clean and all. No use on wasting a good opportunity.”

Ian blushes and goes mute.

“What? You don’t like it?”

“Hum… I’ve never… Done it.”

“What? Wait… You’ve done it to me already.”

“Yeah, but no one has ever done it to me.”

“You’re kidding? For real? Well… Does that make you uncomfortable?”

Ian shrugs. “I don’t know. It’s just… I never bottom, and rimming is something people do to bottoms, so…”

Mickey starts laughing so hard he falls back onto the bed, struggling to breathe. Ian feels mortified, but a small smile appears on his lips.

“Come on, man. It was not that funny.”

“Oh my god, I’m sorry! I’m sorry, you’re right. So…” Still lying in bed, Mickey runs his fingertips through Ian’s nude thigh. “Do you want to try it? We don’t have to, only if you want to. There’s still a bunch of things we can do and they’re all fantastic.”

Ian ponders for a moment, then nods. “Yeah, okay. I want it.”

“You sure?”

“I figure it doesn’t hurt to try it. Worst case scenario I’ll know not to repeat the experience.”

“Right. Let me know if you don’t like it and want me to stop, ok? I doubt you will, but… Who knows? People enjoy different things. All right, bathrobe off and turn around.”

Ian obeys, lying on his stomach. Mickey grabs a pillow and makes Ian put it under his hips for support. He grabs the other pillow and put it under his head, burying his face in it in embarrassment. He knows it’s ridiculous, but he can’t help it. He feels more exposed than he ever has and it makes him a bit uncomfortable. He has to remind himself that this is Mickey, he knows Mickey and he can trust him. He tenses and hunches his shoulders when Mickey touches him, even though is merely a gentle kiss between his shoulder blades. He exhales and lets his forehead fall on the pillow, taking deep breaths and trying his best to relax. He feels Mickey’s strong hands massaging his shoulders and it makes it easier to forget where this is going. Mickey slowly works the muscles on his shoulders and down his back, pressing down with his palms and alternating with rotating movements of his fingertips. It feels relaxing and Ian can feel himself growing less tense by the minute. Mickey places tiny kisses down his back until he gets to his ass. Ian tenses a bit again and his stomach turns with expectation. Mickey grabs his ass cheeks in his hands, massaging them firmly before parting them with his thumbs. He feels Mickey’s breath down his hole and squirms; it doesn’t feel bad, but it tickles a bit and Ian hopes to be able to relax fully and enjoy this. He feels Mickey’s tongue lick up his crack, warm and wet and yeah, okay, maybe this is not so bad. Maybe it does feel good to have Mickey’s mouth working on his ass, maybe it actually feels great, like really fucking fantastic and it just might be that Ian is enjoying this far more than he thought he would. He bites down the pillow when Mickey’s tongue start swirling and poking at his hole and it feels like his ass is on fire, like his whole body is about to combust. He moans with abandon and holy shit it’s no wonder the guys he’s done this with seemed to love it. Ian unconsciously tries to push his ass back to increase the friction, but Mickey’s hands are holding his hips in place, his face buried down Ian’s ass. He feels his whole body tensioned with his upcoming release and wonder if he’s able to come just like this, without touching himself and – oh. Yes. He can. He shouts Mickey’s name into the pillow, leaning his head to the side as he tries to regain the breath that seems to have been knocked out of his lungs. He’s pretty sure he has the dopiest smile on his face right now, but he couldn’t care less. He listens to the sound of Mickey’s footsteps as he goes to the bathroom and hears the water running from the tap and then his eyelids feel heavy, so so heavy, and he doesn’t hear anything else as he falls into a deep, blissful sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

Mickey’s awoken by the sound of the door being shut and the wonderful smell of bacon that invades his nostrils. He blinks a couple of times before his eyes adjust to the light and focus on the redhead looking down at him.

“Good morning.”

He smiles and yawns, stretching in the large bed. “Mornin’.”

“I ordered breakfast.”

“Uhm, I can smell it. What time is it?”

“Seven-thirty.”

“Too fucking early.”

“Sorry.” Ian runs his fingers through Mickey disheveled hair and he leans into the touch for a second, before sitting up on the bed. “You said your flight was at noon though, so I figured I’d wake you up already. This way we can have a couple hours to ourselves before we have to leave.” He gives Mickey his cutest puppy face and he just chuckles to himself. “Sounds like a plan. I do need breakfast first though.”

“Great! After that I thought I could… return the favor? I kinda feel bad about falling asleep on you last night.”

“Don’t see why. I took it as a compliment.”

Ian grins and stands up, taking Mickey’s hand to help him up. They sit at the table and eat the hearty breakfast Ian has ordered in silence, both still too sleepy and too hungry to do anything else other than chew. They watch the city below them, already busy with activity, people rushing to work as the sun rises higher in the sky and illuminates the glass and concrete buildings. Once they’re finished they lie back on the large bed, scooting close and bumping noses, making out slowly and tenderly, all languid kisses and soft touches, and Mickey remembers a time when he didn’t do this, didn’t do kisses and gentleness. It had been Ian who had taught him this. Young Ian had been his first real kiss, the first time Mickey had allowed himself to show a tender side to someone. It was a long time before, back in Chicago, where Mickey himself had been just a boy afraid of his own reflection. In the few weeks he’d known Ian, the redhead had managed to get into his shell and bring out his affectionate side. After that, Mickey had closed himself again, not allowing anyone to know him like that, to get that close to him again. Expect for now. Ian Gallagher, once again, managing to touch his heart, to make him _feel_. Feel what? Mickey doesn’t know, doesn’t think he wants to know, because knowing it, just thinking about it, will make it real and he can’t do real right now, not when they live so far from each other and have their own careers and lives to take care of. So he doesn’t think about, he just feels, and relishes in the feelings he gets, knowing all too well he might never feel them again. And when he says goodbye to Ian at the airport he allows himself a public kiss, because fuck what these people may think, he might never kiss this wonderful man again, so he’s got to make the most of it. So he kisses Ian fiercely, pouring his heart out on the kiss, and if he feels tears threaten to pour he doesn’t allow them to fall, taking a step back and waving to Ian as he turns around and leaves, not looking back again. 


	20. Chapter 20

He misses Mickey, misses him so much it hurts. Sure, they talk on the phone at least twice a week and they text all the time, and they’ve even used their computer cameras on more than one occasion, but it’s not the same thing. He misses his smell and his taste, the firm touch of his hands and the sweetness of his kisses. He misses being in silence with him, each lost to their own train of thought, but being comforted by the mere presence of the other one. He misses catching him looking when he thinks Ian isn’t paying attention and falling asleep next to him. He misses him way too much and after over two months of this he’s had enough. So when he gets a call from his agent about an audition for a commercial in LA he jumps at the opportunity to see Mickey again. He’s only ever done one TV commercial in his life, and he’s really enjoyed the experience, so just the fact that he has a chance to do it again is already great. The idea that he’ll be near Mickey is a great bonus. The audition is on the next day, however, so he packs a bag as quickly as possible and takes a cab to the airport, planning to board the first flight to LA available. His fingers itch to call Mickey and tell him he’s coming, but he waits until he’s arrived at the airport and bought the ticket to do so. The flight is in less than one hour, so he checks in and waits idly near the boarding gate. Only once he’s sitting with a cup of coffee in front of him does he call him, glad to hear him pick up on the second ring.

“I’m eating fancy pasta with a shit ton of cheese sauce and pieces of bacon along with pork chops and a cold beer and yes, it does taste as delicious as it sounds.”

Ian chuckles at the report. “Sounds great, save me some.”

“I would”, Mickey replies, clearly with his mouth food. “But it will go bad until I see you again, so I’ll just have to eat everything myself.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I think it can survive another seven hours or so.”

“What?”

“Seven hours. It’s more or less how long it’ll take me to get to LA. I’m at the airport right now.”

The line goes silent and Ian takes a sip of his coffee. “Mickey?”

“Are you serious?” His voice sounds small and a bit nervous and Ian’s heart melts all over again.

“Of course I’m serious”, he replies in a comforting sweet tone. “Why would I joke about this?”

“But… why now? I mean… shouldn’t we have talked about it? You can’t just decide to come here right now and expect me to be on board with this when we haven’t discussed it. I thought I made it clear last time that his is not a relationship, we’re just friends and…”

“Whoa whoa whoa, hold your fucking horses! I don’t know what the fucking you’re thinking right now, but you really need to stop thinking everything I do revolves on you! I have an audition, you fucking moron! It’s a last minute thing for a commercial and it’s tomorrow, that’s why I’m leaving right now. And yes, fine, so I was hoping to see you, maybe even stay with you while I was there, because yes, I do fucking miss you, but you are not the sole reason for my actions, ok?”

“Shit! I’m sorry. I always jump to the same conclusion, don’t I? Just… never mind. Forget I said anything. I just thought… You know, because of the date and all. But forget about it. And yeah, of course you can stay with me. I mean, if you still want to. I… I miss you too.”

Ian’s heart swells in his chest and a huge grin finds its way to his lips. The sign changes to announce that boarding has begun and he sighs. “Of course I want to. I gotta get into the plane now. I’ll see you in… six and half hours, give or take.”

“Okay. Uhm… I’ll pick you up at the airport, ok? Wait for me there.”

Always, he wants to say, but he doesn’t. “Sure”, is what he replies instead. “See you in a few hours.” He hangs up and boards the plane, unable to take the smile out of his face. It’s only once he’s in the plane that he realizes what Mickey meant by date. It’s February 12th, only a couple days before Valentine’s Day, and shit! No wonder Mickey thought he was being all sappy again. Probably even imagined he had a present for him again. Shit shit shit! Even without intending to he still managed to seem clingy! Well, too fucking late. He is already on his way to see Mickey, and he might as well enjoy it!


	21. Chapter 21

Ian has got to be one of the easiest people to spot in a crowd, tall and with his fiery hair, and Mickey couldn’t be more thankful for that. He sees him as soon as he leaves the arrival area and smiles, waving his hand slightly. Ian looks around, scanning the area for Mickey, until his eyes fall on him and he smiles. He looks tired, no doubt from the long trip, but still breathtakingly handsome, dressed in fitted dark jeans and a coat that’s way too warm for LA.

As soon as Ian is close to him he grips his head and kisses him fiercely, not giving this mind enough time to stop him. He feels Ian’s hands encircle his waist to bring him closer and lets him, wish his body would melt with the redhead’s. They break apart breathlessly and Ian is smiling that radiating smile of his, which seems to illuminate everything in its vicinity.

“Welcome to LA.”

“If I get this reception every time I arrive here, I might come more often.”

Mickey smirks and leans over to whisper at his ear. “That’s the intention.”

Ian laughs and Mickey takes his bag from him, insisting in carrying it to the car. He leads the way, Ian next to him telling him how he’d gotten the call for the audition and why he’s here.

Once they’re in the car, Ian turns to him, his cheeks coloring slightly. “So, about the date… I swear I didn’t realize it! I only noticed after you said it, to be honest. And it doesn’t really matter, it doesn’t mean anything, okay? It’s just a day, like any other. We can… do absolutely nothing. Just stay at your place and watch a movie or whatever. We don’t even have to spend any time together if you don’t want to. Hell, I might not even be here anymore. I mean, if I don’t pass the audition I’m going straight back home, so really, it’s fine.”

He puts his hand over Ian’s, giving it a light squeeze. “It’s fine. I was just jumping to conclusions, like always. And I hope you pass and spend a bit more time here, okay? Including that day that will be just like any other day.”

He starts the car and Ian yawns, getting comfortable in his seat. “Take a nap, Firecrotch. I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”

He closes his eyes and sighs, immediately out like a light.

 

Mickey’s apartment is a lot nicer than the last one. It’s got three bedrooms (his own, a guestroom and one turned into an office), an ample living room with comfortable couches and a huge TV, a smaller dining room with a bar and an open kitchen. Mickey takes Ian’s bag straight to his room and Ian lets out a relieved sigh – it would have been really awkward and disappointing if he’d asked Ian to stay in the guestroom. They watch a comedy show on TV and have dinner – Mickey has actually bought some more of his lunch meal and bought it home for Ian. As Ian keeps yawning, the jetlag getting to him, Mickey orders him to bed, literally pulling him out of the couch and guiding him into the bedroom. He helps him out of his clothes and he snuggles into the sheets, hugging the pillow.

“Uhm… I wanted to fuck you.” Mickey snorts at the sleepy way Ian mumbles it.

“It’s okay, you can make it up for me tomorrow. Hey, I’ll take you to your audition, okay?”

“You don’t have to.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s no big deal. I’ll just have to leave you there a bit early, so I can get to work in time. But at least you don’t risk getting lost or arriving late.”

“Hmm, ‘kay.”

Mickey smiles and kisses Ian’s forehead. “Night, mumbles.”

“Night, Mick.”


	22. Chapter 22

He’s in the middle of a photo shoot when his phone vibrates in his pocket, so he ignores it and keeps taking pictures and directing the models. It vibrates again, and again he ignores it. He knows it must be Ian, but he’ll have to wait until he’s finished. It’s only half an hour later, when he stops for a break, that he checks his phone. It was indeed Ian. Once missed call, and one message.

**_I passed!_ **

He smiles and calls him back.

“I passed it!”, Ian shouts as soon as he answers the phone.

“Congrats! That was fast.”

“Yeah, there were me and five other guys, all redheads –  it’s supposed to be a family of redheads. There were a few redhead teenage girls too and some young boys. It looked like a Weasley family reunion.” Mickey chuckles at that, sitting down and looking at the pictures he’s taken so far on his camera while he listens to Ian. “We all had to go in and say the lines, and only that part already took for-fucking-ever! I was a pile of nerves, I swear! Then they told some people to go, and asked us to go in again and interact with each other. I had to say the lines again with two different boys and three different girls. And, of course, I had to wait for all the other combinations to be done as well! So it was only a little while ago that they finally decided and called us in to let us know. I thought they were going to tell us that they’d announce it later or something, but no – they told me on the spot that they wanted me. They said I have the right looks and that I’m charismatic and – their words, I swear – a natural. I’m a natural! Can you believe it?”

“Of course I can, I fucking told you so over ten years ago!”

Ian laughs. “Yeah, right, I had forgotten about that. So, I’m eating a sandwich right now, because I was fricking starving, but after that I’m not sure what to do. How do I go back?”

Mickey ponders for a moment. “Uhm… I can’t pick you up right now, but if you want to wait there, I can come around later. It’ll probably be many hours though. Or you come here. Going back to the apartment is a longer journey, but my studio is close enough. You can come by and hang around here while I finish, then we can grab dinner near here – there’s a nice bistro I think you’ll enjoy. What do you think?”

“Sounds great. I’ve got nothing else to do around here anyway – they’re shooting the commercial tomorrow morning, so I’m free for the rest of the day.”

“Great, I’ll text you the address. Let me know when you arrive so I can clear it up for you to come in.”

“Wow, how secure! Ok, I’ll see you soon then!”

“See ya!”

 

When Ian arrives he welcomes him with a smile and tells him to sit and wait a bit until he finishes. He’s at the end of a long photo shoot for a fashion magazine with half a dozen models and he’s exhausted. His assistant doesn’t help, asking questions all the time and not really doing anything to help unless he’s asked to at least three times. The guy is new and Mickey’s giving him a chance, since he has a good eye for the thing, but really, talent can only take you so far. Once he’s done he dismisses the models and thanks them and leaves his assistant and secretary to deal with organizing the aftermath. That’s what they’re paid for anyway. He does store the cameras securely himself, knowing he’ll be the one working with the photographs to make them ready to be published the next day. Both his assistant and his secretary raise their eyebrows as he leaves with Ian, but none of them comment on it. They’re smarter than that.

As eager as they both are to get their hands on each other, they don’t rush it, and instead appreciate their dinner together peacefully, enjoying each other’s company, and if halfway through dessert Ian covers Mickey’s hand with his own and Mickey doesn’t shake it away, they don’t need to talk about it.

Ian must have a death wish, for his fingers start dancing up and down Mickey’s thigh while they’re still at the car, getting dangerously close to his crotch. Mickey gives him a side glance and a small smile.

“Stop that.”

Ian runs the tip of his index finger slowly up Mickey’s crotch and he shivers, slowing down the car in the middle of the heavy traffic. Mickey looks at him with his face flush.

“Ian, what the fuck?”

Ian smiles wickedly and pokes his tongue at him. “What’s the problem?”, he asks, his innocent tone contrasting with the way he cups Mickey’s hard-on, rubbing it up and down.

“Fuck, Ian, we’re in the middle of the road!”

“It’s dark outside. Plus, your side windows are tinted, it’d be hard to notice what I’m doing.”

“It’s not that, it’s just… I can’t drive if you keep distracting me.”

“Well, stop the car then.”

As soon as he reaches a corner he turns, driving a bit and turning another corner before stopping in a dark street, in front of a closed bookstore. As soon as he turns off the ignition Ian’s hands are over him, opening his zipper and thrusting a hand inside to grip his cock.

“Fuck!” He lets his head fall back, gasping.

“Push your seat back.”

He pushes it as far as possible and watches in almost disbelief as Ian kneels in front of him, opening his fly more and pulling his cock out. He wastes no time, only licking his lips before he wraps Mickey with his mouth. He flattens his tongue and hollows his cheeks before he slides his mouth further down, taking almost all of Mickey’s length in his mouth. Mickey groans and slides down the seat, bucking his hips. Ian takes him all in, burying his nose in Mickey’s pubes, and he almost comes right there and then. Ian keeps moving, gaining tempo, tongue swirling and lips sucking vigorously. Mickey grips Ian’s hair and forces his head down at the same time he arches his hips up, loving the warmth of Ian’s mouth all around his cock. He lets go of Ian and grips the side of his seat, feeling his balls tightening and his toes curling with his impeding orgasm.

“Argh, uhm, gonna cum, gonna cum, Ian, oh god, Ian!” He comes on Ian’s mouth and the read locks eyes with him, smirking deviously and he swallows and licks his lips. Mickey remembers a time when Ian didn’t swallow and wonders when that changed. The question leaves his mind as soon as Ian’s lips touch his tough, and he tastes himself on Ian’s tongue. Ian bites down on his lip and Mickey groans.

“Sit down, I wanna return the favor.”

“It’s okay, you can do that once we get to your place.” Ian sits back on his own seat and leans over to whisper seductively into Mickey’s year. “I wanna put my dick up your ass and pound into you hard enough that you won’t be able to walk for days.”

Mickey arches an eyebrow. “You know, I have lube in the car.”

Ian looks positively surprised. “You kinky boy! Well then…”

Mickey quickly pushes his pants all the way down before straddling Ian’s hips. He reaches for the gloves compartment behind him, struggling a bit to get the lube and a condom and pass it to Ian, who also took his pants off. Ian squirts a bit of lube onto his fingers and quickly inserts one up Mickey’s ass, pushing in and out eagerly. Mickey rests his forehead on Ian’s shoulder, focusing on breathing deeply and relaxing.

“Another one”, he whispers, and Ian obeys, following the first finger with a second one, rubbing Mickey’s inner walls and scissoring his fingers to get him stretched.

“Fuck! I’m ready.”

“Can I put another one?”

“No, you, your cock, fuck, I want your dick inside me, Ian.”

Ian doesn’t need to be told twice. He rolls the condom down on his cock and spreads a generous amount of lube on it. He guides himself inside Mickey, only a few inches in before his pulling out again. Mickey cusses and pushes down, taking all of Ian inside him in one single motion. He winces and gasps at the intrusion, closing his eyes as he focus on relaxing, biting his lower lip in concentration. He opens his eyes and catches Ian’s starting into his own, showing so much lust and affection that it almost makes him dizzy. Ian closes the distance between them and kisses his lips, soft and slow and tender and showing such fondness that Mickey has to pull back. He raises his body on the seat and brings it down again, shoving Ian’s cock inside him. He quickly starts going faster, roughly riding his – friend? Fuck buddy? Lover? Boyfriend?. He doesn’t know want to think about titles and affection, doesn’t want this to mean more than a good fuck, because when it does, that’s when it hurts afterwards. So he moves energetically, almost violently, his own cock slowly hardening again and slapping his stomach. Ian grips his cock and strokes it in synchrony with Mickey’s movements, sucking on his neck while he does so. The car moves with the force of their movements but they don’t stop, too wrapped up in each other to notice or even care. Ian holds his hips brutally, leaving red marks on his skin as he comes inside Mickey with a long and deep moan. He continues to stroke Mickey’s erection, though more slowly, and Mickey leans back against the dashboard, allowing him to finish it. After a minute Ian seems to come back to his senses and resumes his earlier pace, and it’s not long until Mickey is coming for the second time of the night, squirting his juices over Ian’s hand and stomach.

He goes back to his seat, taking some tissues from the gloves compartment to clean up himself and handing the rest to Ian. He gets the condom from Ian and wraps it in a couple of tissues before putting it inside the thrash bag he always carries in his car. Ian raises an eyebrow at him.

“What? I’m environmentally friendly!”

 


	23. Chapter 23

 

They have sex again on the bed once they arrive back at Mickey’s apartment, then again in the shower, and Mickey wonders where he’s even getting the stamina from. He’s not a teenager anymore and he’s worked all day; the fact that he still has enough energy for some many rounds is astonishing. But he knows it’s Ian who has this effect on him. Ian, whose body he missed over the past couple of months. Ian who makes him want to enjoy every second they’re together, because he knows and couldn’t forget even if he tried, that it’ll be another good while until they see each other again, if at all. The mere possibility of never again seeing the redhead, never again kissing him passionately and touching him tenderly, never again fusing their bodies together, this thought alone is enough to make him grip harder and hold longingly and touch his face gently while he sleeps because no, Mickey can’t go without this for too long. He can’t go without this at all.

He watches as Ian walks around his kitchen, making some coffee and getting some fruits from the fridge, maneauvering around Mickey, who’s making pancakes. He’s humming some pop song, setting the table only in his boxers and Mickey smiles at how easy it is to be around Ian. They act in synchrony and it’s effortless and comfortable. They eat in silence, each lost to their own thoughts, and Mickey wonders if Ian is thinking the same thing he is, that he could get used to this.

He takes Ian to work again and they’re quickly reminded of the date. As soon as they are outside they see hearts everywhere. Hearts on the store windows, hearts on billboards, even on a wall of a house. People walk by carrying flowers, heart-shapped balloons, chocolate boxes and carefully wrapped presents, making it impossible not to notice. He doesn’t dare say anything, doesn’t even look at Ian, not knowing how to get himself out of this awkward situation. Should he aknowledge the day? Should he ignore it and talk about something else as Ian had suggested? A guy dressed in a gorilla suit carring a load of balloons walks by and he stares wide-eyed. He turns to Ian at the same time Ian turns to him and they both stare at each other for a second before they burst into laughter.

They laugh so much Mickey stomach starts to hurt and it’s a good thing traffic is slow, as usual, or he’d sure have hit someone by now.

“So…”, Ian starts, when they finally catch their breaths.

He doesn’t know where this is going, so he answers with a non-comittal “Yeah…”

“Is today like, a holiday or something?” Ian asks nonchalantly.

Mickey shrugs, entering his game. “I don’t know, man. Why do you ask?”

“Well, it’s just… It looks like there are a lot of people with balloons on the streets today. Didn’t you notice?”

“Uhm, not that you’ve mentioned it… I’ve also seen a lot of flowers.”

“Yeah, that’s right! Maybe it’s, uhm, Mother’s Day?”

“Could be. Isn’t that like… in May or something?”

“Yeah, right… Teacher’s Day?”

“Is there a Teacher’s Day?”

“Isn’t there?”

“I don’t know! Maybe… neighbour’s day?”

“Uhm, you might be on to something.”

He makes the mistake of catching Ian’s eyes and they both start laughing again. They arrive and Ian gets out and thanks Mickey for the ride with a soft kiss. Mickey watches him go with a feeling of warmth and contentment. Yes, he could definitely get used to this.


	24. Chapter 24

He works relentlessly during the day, grumbling a bit when his secretary asks to leave earlier because of a Valentine’s Day date, though he allows her to (and good luck getting into any restaurant today!). Ian texts him in the middle of the afternoon, saying he’s finished and that since it’s early, he’ll go meet Mickey in his workplace walking and take the opportunity to explore the city. Mickey laughs a bit at the idea of anyone walking in LA, but sure, if that’s what he wants. He arrives when Mickey is nearly done himself and together they make their way back. Traffic is even slower than normal and Mickey sighs, resting his head on the seat.

“Fucking traffic.”

Ian snorts. “It’s the same in New York. Oh, speaking of which, I booked my flight back.”

Mickey quickly turns his head to him, eyes wide. “You did?”

“Yup. Tomorrow at noon.”

“That’s… soon.”

“Yeah, I’ve got some stuff to do back home.”

“Oh. Ok. Shit, I can’t take you, I’m busy tomorrow.”

“It’s fine, I can get there by myself.”

“Right.”

His chest hurts and his nose itches with the threat of tears, but he blinks them away. He can feel Ian staring at him, but he doesn’t dare say anything, knowing whatever he says will seem needy and weak. If Ian wants to go, he can go. He won’t make him stay.

“I’ll miss you.” Fucking Ian.

“It’s not forever”, he says it, even though he has a hard time believing it himself.

“When then?”

He shrugs. He thinks about his schedule and wonders whether he could take a couple days off work.

“I’ve been meaning to take a vacation.” It’s a lie, Mickey hasn’t had a vacation in years, doesn’t see the point if he’s not going anywhere, but Ian doesn’t need to know that. “Maybe I can arrange something. It’ll take a while though, I have a lot of things scheduled already. Maybe in a few months?”

“My birthday is in May.”

He looks over at Ian and the hopeful look the redhead is giving him makes him smile. “May it is then.”

The grin and the kiss he gets in return have him wishing it was May already.


	25. Chapter 25

Three months have never passed so slowly. Mickey’s days seem to drag by and the only thing that can perk him up are the texts he and Ian exchange through the day, and their phone and online conversations. They’ve fallen into a routine. They talk on the phone every two or three days, and talk over the internet every Saturday, sometimes Sunday as well. He often gets pictures of things that Ian has seen and wanted to show him, and he sends him some in return. They talk about ordinary things, exchange opinions on TV shows they both watch, and once even watch a movie together, Ian watching it on TV and his laptop next to him with his camera on so that he can watch too. He feels ridiculous at first, but then he starts to relax, enjoying the sound of Ian’s laughter and comments, even if he can’t see him. He wishes he could, see him and touch him and feel his warmth, and he knows then there’s no more denying it: he’s fallen in love. He’s in love with Ian Gallagher and he’s no where near as scared as his mind tells him he should be. He doesn’t feel afraid or anxious or stupid; rather than that, he feels warm and comfortable, like he’s finally made it back to a cozy bed and soft comforter after spending the day under the cold rain. The only thing that bothers him is the distance. He hates being this far away, and wonders if it can even be a real relationship this way. A part of him knows it already is, that it’s turned into something a lot more serious than he had expected, and he can only hope it’ll last. He knows long distance relationships don’t work and wonders how much longer he and Ian have before the inevitable end. He doesn’t bring it up though; as much as techonology allows them to be in touch, there are certain things better said face to face. So he goes on doing his job and arranging everything for a vacation – a long one. He takes a whole month off work, a whole month he plans to spend in New York, with Ian. Not that he has told him that yet – he wants to tell him in person, gather his reaction, although he’s sure it’ll be a positive one.

It’s on a bright sunny day that he lands on the Big Apple again. Ian quickly takes him in his arms and kisses him, miming the welcome Mickey has given him to LA. Ian pulls him closer, hands resting on his waist and hip, and Mickey brings a hand up to cup his cheek. It’s a short and soft kiss, enough to leave him longing, enough to say “I’ve missed you”. They’re getting good at this, airport kisses, and Mickey kind of wishes they weren’t.

They break apart with smiles on their faces, smiles that stay with them all the way to Ian’s place. They kiss again in the car, in the elevator, and as soon as the door is closed behind them. Their hands caress and grip and undress and they revel in each other’s presence. Their mouths murmur and gasp and moan between their kisses, saying without actually saying those important words they’re not really ready to say out loud yet. Their bodies fit together perfectly, limbs intertwined and holding each other close, their movements slowly bringing them to the climax. And then Mickey looks into Ian’s eyes, those beautiful green eyes, they are so full of adoration he feels like his chest will explode and he has to kiss him just so he’ll close his eyes.

They lie together in bed afterwards, Ian’s head resting on Mickey’s chest, his fingertips drawing random patterns across his skin while Mickey tenderly runs his hands through his soft red hair.

“Hey…”

Ian lifts his head to look at him. “Uhm? What?”

“You never asked me how long I’m staying for.”

Ian sits up, frowning. “Please don’t tell me you’re leaving tomorrow or some shit.”

Mickey laughs and sits up as well.

“Of course not. Actually, I’m taking a quite long vacation.”

“How long?”

“A month.”

Ian’s eyes go wide. “You’re staying with me for a whole month!?”

Mickey shrugs. “I don’t have to spend everything here, but…”

“Hell yes, you have to!” He cups Mickey’s cheeks between his hands and kisses him. “I’m not letting you go a minute sooner than you absolutely have to!”

Mickey laughs and lets Ian push him onto the bed once more.


	26. Chapter 26

Some days Mickey walks around the city, visiting famous sites and mixing with the crowd of turists, or exploring the hidden gems every city has. He takes his camera everywhere, most of the time ignoring the often photographed buildings and statues and opting to take pictures of the people, smiling and talking to each other, or frowing and walking by themselves in a fast pace, feeding animals in the parks and reading silently on the benches. He stores those away, for future reference. Maybe someday he’ll make a book of his own.

He likes New York, and getting to spend some time in it only makes him like it more. He catches himself thinking about living there, about walking around those streets every day and taking the subway every morning, about sitting on the crowded coffee shops and seeing the yellow cabs run past every weekend. Most of all, he catches himself thinking about being with Ian every day, about waking up with Ian’s arm wrapped around him (like it had been lately) and making breakfast for both of them, of spending weekends wrapped up in each other watching a movie together, of working on his photographs while Ian reads a book, silently keeping him company. And the more he thinks about it, the more he wants it, needs it even. In New York or LA, Chicago or anywhere else, he wanted Ian close to him at all times. And it doesn’t matter that his mind keeps telling him is too soon, his heart tells him it’s the right thing to do. He keeps those ideas a secret though, slowly gathering the courage to talk to Ian about them.

One day he goes with Ian to a photo shoot, and he swears the photographer is flirting with the redhead, praising him way more than necessary and running his hands down Ian’s arm while explaining to him what he wants. He gets pissed and leaves, waiting outside while he goes through several cigarettes and waits for Ian to leave. It feels like he has to wait forever, and the anger inside him has only grown in the mean time.

“Hey, what happened? Did you get bored or something?”

“Yeah, got bored of seeing that creep all over you!”

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb, Ian! That fucking photographer was flirting with you right in front of me!”

“He was not! And even if he had been, so what? It’s not like we’re exclusive, right?”

It’s a challenge and he knows it and fuck it if anyone can say Mickey Milkovich shies away from a challenge. He pulls Ian to him, kissing him fiercily, almost hurtfully, not letting him go until they are both out of breath. He rests his head on Ian’s neck, arms encircling his shoulders.

“I don’t want to share you anymore.” It’s no more than a whisper, but Ian hears him and tightens his grip around Mickey’s waist. He rests his head on top of Mickey’s, inhaling the strong scent of shampoo and cigarettes that lingers there.

“You never had to.”

Mickey looks up at him then and Ian smiles. “All these months we’ve been… whatever we’ve been… You have been the only one, Mick.” He smirks playfully. “You’re the one who fools around.”

It’s a reference to old times, to when Ian had been nothing more than a casual fuck buddy for Mickey, nothing more than another guy he’d met during a photo shoot. Mickey shakes his head vigoursly. Ian’s not only that. Not anymore. “I didn’t. Not since… not since the last time I was here, I haven’t slept with anyone else. I haven’t fucked anyone else. Ever since Halloween, you have been the only one in my mind and in my body.” He gently rubs his thumb across Ian’s cheek. “And in my heart.”

Someone bumps into him, scolding them for blocking the street, and disrupts their moment. They look at the stranger, who’s already walked past them hurriedly, then lock eyes and start laughing. Mickey takes Ian’s hand and they walk side by side to where Ian’s car is parked. No other words are exchanged between then, but none are needed.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bottom!Ian in this chapter. Skip to the end if that's not your cup of tea.

They’re fooling around in Ian’s large and comfortable bed, sharing tender kisses and soft caresses in the aftermath of their orgasms. Ian runs his hands down Mickey’s back while he kisses down the redhead’s neck.

“Mickey?”

“Uhm?” The sounds is muffled as Mickey continues to nip and suck at the tender skin.

“Mick?”

He raises his head to look into the green eyes. “Yeah?”

“Have you ever topped?”

He raises his eyebrows, wondering where this conversation is going.

“Yeah, of course, a few times. But I prefer to bottom. Why? Have you ever bottomed?”

“Only once.”

“Did you not like it?”

Ian shakes his head, look serious. “No. It hurt like a motherfucker.”

Mickey chuckles. “Well, not everyone likes it.”

“I wonder…” Ian blushes and looks down at Mickey’s arm, fingers tracing the veins there absentmindedly. “I wanted to try again and… I wonder… Would you do it? I mean…”

“Sure. Just because I prefer to have something up my ass, it doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy topping as well. But are you sure? You don’t have to, you know. Not every gay man enjoys it, it’s not a pre-requiste or anything.”

It’s Ian’s turn to chuckle, embarrassed. “Yeah, I know. I just… Wanted to try it again before I completely rule it out. I never thought I’d enjoy rimming and I definitely did, so…”

“Okay. Come here, then.” He pulls Ian closer to him and presses their lips together, quickly deepening the kiss. Their tongues fit together as well as their bodies do and it’s not long before their sighing into each other’s mouths. He pulls away to kiss his way down Ian’s body, pausing to suck his nipples and scrape his teeth over his abs. Ian’s erection is resting against his stomach and he takes him into his mouth, sucking him off slowly. Ian seems to relax under his ministrations, letting out small sighs and moans. He licks up the large vein of his cock and presses his tongue to the slit and Ian shudders. He wraps a hand around Ian’s cock ans starts running it up and down slowly, just enough to keep the friction, while he puts one of his balls into his mouth. He sucks it and runs his tongue around it and Ian bucks his hips in appreciation. He does the same to the other one and feels Ian’s fingers gripping his hair. He lets go with a loud pop and pulls back, grinning. He grabs the bottle of lube they’d just used and pours some onto his fingers. He gently runs a finger down Ian’s crack and feels him recoil, then relax again. His mouth goes back to sucking at his cock while he presses a fingertip to Ian’s hole, circling it calmly. He takes more of Ian into his mouth at the same time he pushes his finger in, a little bit at a time, feeling Ian clench and relax with every small movement. By the time he’s finished inserting his whole finger, he’s nose is buried into Ian’s pubes as he deepthroats him. He looks up and locks eyes with Ian, who nods. He pulls back and resums bobbing his head up and down Ian’s dick, moving his finger in and out of Ian at the same leisurely pace.

“Another”, Ian whispers, bucking his hips a little, and Mickey obeys, gently pushing a second finger inside. He moves his fingers around Ian, twisting and scissoring them and finally inserting a third one, keeping the languid rhythm and giving Ian all the time in the world to get used to it. Ian moans have gotten louder and he’s arching his back from the mattress.

“Enough”, he half says, half moans, looking intently down at Mickey. “I want to come with you inside me.”

Mickey pulls back and smiles. “I’ll try my best.”

He quickly rolls a condom down his already leaking cock and adds a bit more of lube for good measure. He lines himself up with Ian’s hole and looks into his eyes. Ian takes a deep breath, trying his best to relax, and nods. “I’m ready.”

Mickey pushes himself in slowly, feeling Ian’s walls constricting and relaxing around him.

“Is this okay?”

Ian nods, lifting his legs to wrap them around Mickey’s waist. Mickey continues pushing in slowly until he’s balls deep inside Ian. The warmth and tightness have him seeing stars and he has to take a deep breath himself. Sometimes he forgets that topping can also be quite good. He peppers kisses all around Ian’s chest and shoulders, neck and face, then presses their lips together sweetly. Ian breaks the kiss to look into Mickey’s eyes and nod again, wiggling his hips a little.

Mickey pulls back until only the head of his cock is inside Ian, then pushes in again, still slowly. As Ian starts moving his hips as well, he gains confidence, increasing his tempo and thrusting with a bit more vigor. Ian’s arms hold him close and he feels his nails digging into his back. He reaches between to stroke Ian’s cock and Ian closes his eyes and bites his lower lip. He pumps Ian’s dick in rhythm with his now fast thrusts and is glad to see Ian responding to it by letting out a high-piched moan. It’s not long until Ian is coming, back arching and mouth hanging open while he spills onto Mickey’s hand. The mix of sensations is overwhelming; Ian’s inner walls pressing around his dick, the beautiful sight of Ian coming under him, the sound of their bodies meeting, the scent of sweat and cum, it’s all too much for Mickey to contain, and he comes right after Ian, murmuring his name as he does so.

It’s not long until they are lying together, Mickey’s head resting on Ian’s chest, their legs entwined and Ian’s arms enveloping Mickey’s body. Ian’s long fingers are stroking his hair gently, relaxing him and quickly making him sleepy. His eyes close own their own accord and his whole body relax on top of Ian’s. He’s about to drift into sleep when he hears it, nothing more than a soft whisper into the night.

“I love you.”


	28. Chapter 28

 

It’s been three days since he heard Ian’s declaration and he feels like a spy who knows someone’s secret. Ian had said those words because he had thought Mickey was asleep and not listening. It’s likely he wouldn’t have said it otherwise. So now he knows that Ian loves him, but Ian doesn’t know that he knows, which makes Mickey even more nervous about how to respond. At first he’d thought of not saying anything and pretending he hadn’t actually heard it. Later he’d changed his mind, figuring it was something they should talk about, but he wasn’t sure Ian even wanted to talk about that. And now he thinks it’s too late anyways – who the fuck acknowledges something like that only days later?

He can’t ignore it, though. He sees it every time Ian smiles at him, or gives him a look of affection, or whispers his name while they’re having sex. Now that he knows that Ian loves him, he can’t unknow it. He’s constantly being reminded of that, and he wonders how he hadn’t noticed before how deep Ian’s feelings were. Sure, he knew the redhead cared about him a lot, maybe had a crush, but love… It is such a strong word. Such a definite thing. It makes everything more serious. It makes people trust each other more, and when that happens, usually heartbreak follows. But hadn’t they crossed that bridge already, when they’d agreed to be exclusive? Didn’t that mean that this was serious, that they were in it for the long run? So what difference did it make, those three small words?

But they did, because Mickey had never heard it, aside from maybe once or twice from his sister. And he’d never said them, not even to her. The closest he’d managed had been a “me too”, again to Mandy. He wonders if what he feels for Ian even is love. He realizes he doesn’t know what love feels like. The only person he thinks he loves is Mandy. He thinks about that one day, while Ian is working and he’s stretched out on the large bed. He knows he worries about Mandy, used to worry even more when they were younger. He wants her safe and protected, always, and the idea of her getting hurt or suffering in any way makes him sick with worry. He hates to see her cry and it makes him want to cry as well, along with killing whoever made that happen. He likes when she smiles, when he knows she’s happy, and it makes him happier too, even when he’s having a crappy day. No matter how much they argue – and they do, a lot – he will always have her back, and he knows she’ll always have his. She may annoy him at times, but he misses her when she’s not around or when they don’t talk for a while, and sometimes he will see or hear something that reminds him of her. He supposes that is love, a combination of all those things. He compares it to how he feels about Ian.

Yes, he does miss him, a lot indeed. He’s missing him right now, and he’s only been gone for a few hours. He thinks about him a lot, and hates it when their busy schedules don’t allow them to communicate at all for a whole day. He gets grumpy and impatient, and it was only after about the fifth or sixth time of feeling instantly better once he was talking to Ian that he’d realized that.

Yes, he also wants to protect Ian, to make sure he’s safe and happy. He cracks the most ridiculous jokes sometimes, just because Ian’s had a full day and he wants to see him smile. He sends him stupid texts and silly pictures randomly, because he enjoys knowing he made Ian happier, even if just a little bit.

There’s so much more with Ian, though. He’s jealous of him, in a way he doesn’t feel about Mandy. The idea of other man kissing Ian, touching him, even looking at him in a lustful way, makes him boil with anger. He feels scared that Ian might realize Mickey is not good enough for him and actually choose someone else, someone more good-looking, someone richer, someone nicer.

He realizes he’d been clenching his fists and takes a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. He turns around and buries his head on the pillow. The pillow that still smells of Ian, that still smells of sex. With Ian, there’s also this: sex. It haas been a vital part of their relationship from the start. In fact, it was the whole relationship for a while. Things may be different now, but sex is still very important for them, and also very good. From the first time, Ian and him seemed to have a great sexual connection, a finely tuned unspoken communcation. Sex is never bad with Ian. More often than not, it’s amazing.

A desire to be always close, protectiviness, caring about someone else’s well-being, possessiveness, great sex. Yes, there’s not denying. He’s in love with Ian Gallagher.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short, but super sweet.

Mickey wishes he’d stop stalling things so much, but sometimes it feels like he just can’t help it. He’s been trying to figure out when and how to tell Ian he loves him for two days and still can’t seem to find the perfect moment. In the end, the decision is made for him.

Of course his body has to choose the middle of spring to get the flu. His whole body aches, his throat is sore and he can’t breath properly, not to mention he’s burning up with fever. Lucky for him, Ian isn’t working and he doesn’t seem to mind having to take care of Mickey. He makes him stay in bed, gives him a lot of water and some warm soup (which Mickey complains about, but eats anyway), gives him some medicine and keeps him company while he waits for them to have the desired effect and bring his fever down. It seems to be talking a while though, and Ian presses a damp cloth to his forehead to help. The coolness brings him a much needed relief and the words of gratefulness and cherishing escape his dry lips in a soft whisper.

“I love you.”

The corners of Ian’s mouth turn up slightly and he scoffs.

“You’d better remember this tomorrow.”

He lifts the cloth and leans to press a gentle kiss to Mickey’s forehead.

“I love you too, Mickey.”


	30. Chapter 30

 

Ian hands Mickey some tea (he’s still recovering, after all) and sits on the other end of the couch. Mickey thanks him and carefully sips the hot beverage. He notices Ian staring at him and raises his eyebrows.

“What?”

“Do you remember what you said yesterday?”, Ian asks, looking down and playing with a loose thread on the cushion on his lap.

Mickey frowns. “Care to be more specific?”

“Just… never mind.”

“Never mind my ass, what are you talking about?”

Ian sighs. “Yesterday, when you were in bed, you said something… But I guess it was the fever talking.”

“Shit. Did I tell you your feet stink?”

“What? My feet don’t stink!”

“Oh. Of course not. Was it that you need a new haircut?”

Ian glares at him. “Fuck you. Not, it wasn’t that. Never mind, I said.”

“Wait, I didn’t tell you you make a horrible soup, did I?”

Ian frowns and playfully hits him with the cushion.

“Fuck you.”

Mickey sets his mug on a small table next to the couch and scoots closer to Ian.

“Was it when I said ‘I love you’?”

Ian tries to supress his smile and pretend he’s mad, but it’s impossible.

“You remember”, he says, surprised.

Mickey smiles back at him softly.

“Of course I remember. I meant it too.” He closes the distance between them and joins their mouths, gently sucking and tugging on Ian’s lips before pulling back slightly. “I also remember what you said. No taking back.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Ian connects their lips again, and Mickey pushes him back onto the couch and straddles his legs.

“Come on, let’s have ‘I love you’ sex. “

Ian chuckles and puts a hand on Mickey’s chest, pushing him back slightly.

“You’re still sick, Mickey.”

“So what? I can do it.”

“Well, for one thing, you can barely breath properly yet. Also, I’m trying not to get sick too.”

Mickey pouts a little and sits back on the couch.

“Spoilsport.”

Ian grins and puts an arm around Mickey’s shoulders.

“We can do ‘I love you’ cuddling instead.”

It’s not exactly what he wants, but he’ll take it. For now.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize (again) for the delay (again), but I was sick (again - or rather, still), and didn't even turn on my computer for a few days. Chapter's here now, and it won't happen again! It's almost at the end, anyway...

 

One would think it gets easier, this thing of saying goodbye, seeing how often they have to do it. But it doesn’t. If anything, it seems to get harder each and every time. He misses Ian before the plane has even touched the ground back in LA, and it’s not long before he’s making plans to see him again.

The idea of moving to New York crosses his mind again, and he wonders what Ian would say about it. Is it too soon? They’ve been seeing each other for less than a year, and have only recently made it official, so maybe it really is too soon. He can’t shake the idea away, though, and actually starts investigating the market to check the real possibilities. LA has a bigger market, but New York is a huge city, with plenty of offers for photographers. Sure, he’s already made himself many clients in LA, but he could as well make some more. It wouldn’t be extremely easy, but it wouldn’t be that hard either. It’s pretty doable.

He sets the idea aside for the time being, giving it time to mature. He still has to talk to Ian about it, anyway, but he’d rather do it face to face. The occasion doesn’t seem too far either. Ian calls him a few weeks later, telling him the director of that commercial he had been in has called him for an audition or something – Mickey doesn’t really pay that much attention, excited that he gets to to see Ian again. He’s supposed to fly in the next day, and Mickey rushes to make sure everything’s perfect. He organizes the apartment a bit and does the laundry and the dishes. He goes to the supermarket and buys Ian’s favorite snacks. He buys condoms and lube, to guarantee they have enough. He also makes copies of his keys and buys a keyring to put them in and give them to Ian; this way he won’t have to depend on Mickey to get in and out of the place anymore. He feels a little nervous about them – it feels like a commitment, almost like a proposal, and he wonders if they’re ready for something so serious. Then he realizes just recently he was thinking (and still is) of moving to another city just to be with the guy, so it was already pretty serious. He goes to sleep feeling giddy and looking forward to seeing his boyfriend in just a few hours.

 

He wakes up to the sound of his phone ringing loudly on his bedside table. He squints his eyes to check the caller. It’s his brother-in-law. He also checks the time: 5 am. Which can only mean one thing.

He quickly answers the call. “Is it coming?”

“Not it, he. And yes, your godson is coming, and your sisters says she wants you here in this emotional and important moment of her life. Well, her wording was a bit different, but I’m sure that’s what she meant.”

Mickey snorts. He can imagine what kind of words Mandy must have used. And of course he wants to be there for her, but…

“Shit!” Ian will be there in a few hours.

“Please don’t tell me you’re not coming. If you don’t come, I’ll be the only one getting yelled at.”

“Of course I’ll go. Just… I just need to get some things sorted, and then I’ll hop on the first plane I can get, okay?”

“All right. Hopefully by the time you get here it’ll be over and Alexander Michael Simmons will be in the world.”

Mickey smiles at the name. He didn’t know they were giving his name as the baby’s middle name and he’s touched. He doesn’t comment on that though. “Alexander? That’s a fucking faggot name.”

“Yeah, we’re hoping he takes after his uncle.”

Mickey snorts. “All right. I’ll let you get back to Mandy before she threatens to cut your balls out.”

“Too late. See you soon.”

 

He hangs up and curses. He gets dressed as quickly as possible, hastily puts some clothes into a bag and calls his secretary. It’s not even 6 am yet, but fuck it, it’s an emergency. When she answers, he quickly explains the situation and asks if she can get the keys to Ian, to which she happily agrees – much too happy for 6 in the morning, Mickey thinks. He takes a cab and goes to her place, not even leaving the cab, as she’s waiting for him outside. He gives her the keys and goes straight to the airport. Since it’s a long ride, even with a light traffic, he decides to call Ian from the cab.

Ian’s voice is chipper when he answers. “Hello, mister! Couldn’t wait to talk to me? I’m on my way to the airport right now!”

“Well, as it turns out, so am I.”

“What?” He can almost hear Ian’s frown over the phone.

“My sister’s having her baby. I gotta go there, I’m the godfather and all. Besides, I’m her only real family, you know, gotta be by her side and all that.”

“Oh, wow. Well, congrats!”

“You mad?”

“No! Just… a bit disappointed, I guess. I miss you.”

“I miss you too. But hey, how long are you staying for?”

“Only four days. I have work back in New York soon.”

“Shit. Well, I’ll see if I can get back soon, but I can’t make any promises.”

“It’s all right, I understand. It’s your sister’s big moment, it’s only right you’re there.”

Mickey humphs. “I’ll probably miss the whole thing anyway, but I’ll get to see the brat soon.”

Ian chuckles. “I’m sure you’ll be a great uncle!”

Mickey snorts, not so sure of that himself, but it feels good to have someone believe in him. “Hey, you remember where my office is, right?”

“Sure, why?”

“Can you get there by yourself? I left a copy of my keys with Penny, so you can get in.”

“Oh! I… I thought I’d have to stay in a hotel or something.”

“Are you insane? Of course not! Just get the keys with her and make yourself at home, okay? There’s plenty of food and all.”

“Can I use your dildos?”

Mickey snorts. “Only if you send me pictures.”

“Deal. Hey, I gotta go, near the airport now. I’ll see you… when I see you. Good luck with everything.”

“Thanks.”

“Keep me posted.”

“Will do.”

“I love you.”

Mickey smiles. He knows one day the novelty of hearing that will wear off, but today is not that day.

“I love you too.”


	32. Chapter 32

 

Mickey expected to arrive at the hospital and already see his nephew, but that’s not what happens. When he gets there, the baby hasn’t been born yet, and what he gets instead is a tired, bored, and very hostile Mandy. He spends some time with her, trying to distract her and make the wait more bearable, and doing his best to ease everyone’s nerves. Daniel, Mandy’s husband, looks like he is about to faint, and Mickey would find it amusing if he wasn’t so worried and nervous himself.

His phone rings and he smiles when he sees Ian smiling at him in a picture he’d taken when he was in New York.  He excuses himself to go to into the waiting room and answer it.

“Hey, there. Made yourself at home yet?”

“Yup. Penny was pretty curious when she gave me the keys, asked me how we’ve met and all.”

Mickey rolls his eyes. That’s why he enjoys having a bad reputation: his secretary would never have asked _him_ anything personal. “What did you tell her?”

“That I was a prostitute.”

He chuckles, covering his mouth with his hand to avoid being too loud. He marvels at how Ian can ease the tension in him with only a few words.

“How’s everything going? Is the baby there yet?”

“Not yet. It’s taking forever, man. I thought this thing was supposed to be fast, like hurry to the hospital so the baby isn’t born in the sidewalk and all.”

He hears Ian laugh softly. “Well, not always. It can take a long time sometimes. How is your sister holding up?”

“She’s being a pain in the ass. Worse than ever.”

“She’s in pain, she’s allowed to.”

“Yeah, I suppose. Anyway, I gotta go back there. I’ll let you know when it’s over.”

“All right. Tell her I wished her good luck.”

“Uhm…”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“You haven’t told her we’re official?”

“Erm…”

“You haven’t told her anything at all about me?”

“I… I don’t share these things with her, ok?”

“Why not?”

“Because then she’d be all over me wanting to know all the details, and then I’d have to explain why it didn’t last every time it doesn’t, and I really don’t want to do that.”

“So… You think we won’t last?”

“Oh, shut up! You know that’s not what I meant! I mean other guys. I haven’t seriously dated anyone in… well, ever, okay? So no, I haven’t told her about you… yet. But I will, okay?”

“You’d better. My family knows all about you.”

“What?!” Mickey’s voice sounds a little more panicked than he’d intended.

“I’m kidding, I haven’t told them much. Well, maybe a bit, but only to my sister. And my brother. Oh, right, okay, they probably all already know by now. Shit, is that bad? I mean, do you mind?”

Mickey sighs. “To be honest, I don’t know. I told you, I’ve never been in a relationship before, I don’t know the rules, ok? You’re gonna have to teach me.”

“It’ll be a pleasure. Now go, go back to your sister. And tell her about me!”

“All right, I will! Enjoy my apartment!”

“Already am!”


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mickey's texts are bolded.  
> Ian's texts are bolded and italicized.

It takes a few more hours, but finally little Alex makes an appearance, to everyone’s delight and relief. He’s small and chubby, with blond hair and blue eyes that will probably get darker as he grows older. He’s healthy and perfect and Mickey watches him in awe, wondering how someone so small can already be so flawless.

But not everything goes well. Mandy has a hemorrhage and needs a blood transfusion, and it takes long torturous minutes for the doctors to give them any news. Finally they tell them that she has been medicated and sedated and that all is well, but she’ll need to stay in the hospital a little bit longer than usual, just to make sure she’ll be okay. Mickey, of course, offers to stay until she’s back home again, which means he won’t get to see Ian after all. He’s upset about it, but if it means making sure his sister is safe, he’s got no regrets.

Mandy recovers just fine, and he’s sitting with her on the hospital bedroom, talking about babies – a topic he knows nearly nothing about –, when his phone buzzes with a new message. He picks it up to see a picture of Ian lying in bed, his head on the pillow, eyes closed, a big black dildo next to his face.

**_No need to come back, I found a substitute._ **

Mickey snorts and looks up so see Mandy eyeing him with raised eyebrows. He blushes and puts the phone down without answering it.

“Who’s that?”

“It’s, hum…” He remembers what he promised Ian. “My boyfriend.”

“What? Mickey Milkovich, king grumpy, master of loneliness, emperor of bachalor land, has a _boyfriend_? Since when?”

He feels his face heating up even more and rolls his eyes. “It’s recent. Well, at least officialy it is. We have actually been hooking up since last Halloween, but it wasn’t serious until last month.”

“And why am I only hearing about this now?”

His phone buzzes again and he unlocks it to see another picture of Ian. This time he’s put the dildo on the table, next to a plate of pancakes.

**_He even made me pancakes. What a gentleman._ **

He laughs, avoiding his sister’s eyes as he types back an answer.

**Ok, but can he drive you around?**

“What’s his name?”

He looks up to meet Mandy’s inquisitive eyes.

“Ian.”

“How did you two meet?”

Mickey sighs. He knew this was coming.

“Halloween party. Well, actually, we met _again_ in a Halloween party last year. We met for the first time about ten years ago, in a photo shoot. One of my firsts, his actual first. He’s from Chicago too, but he lives in New York.”

“New York? Shit. Long distance relationships never work.”

He glares at her. That’s definitely not something he wanted to hear.

“Wait, did you say you met in a photo shoot? Is he a photographer too?”

“Model.”

“You lucky dog. Got a picture?”

Another buzz, and he looks down at the phone on his hands, still unlocked. It’s a picture of Ian sitting on the couch with the dildo on his lap.

**_No, but it’s okay. He cuddles when we watch tv._ **

He smiles and quickly sends a reply.

**You got me, I’m jealous.**

He notices Mandy still staring at him and vaguely considers showing her these pictures, but decides it would only fuel her more and chooses another one. He’s got plenty from his visit to New York. He gets one of Ian and him together at Central Park, which they had asked a tourist to take. They’re standing side by side, Ian’s arm thrown casually over Mickey’s shoulder, both of them in jeans and short-sleeved tees. Mandy whistles when she sees the picture.

“He’s hot alright!”

The phone buzzes and he takes it back quickly, smiling again when he sees a picture of Ian blowing him a kiss.

**_No need, I don’t love him like I do you._ **

“Good looking, sexy, and makes you smile like that? Don’t let him go.”

He does not intend to.


	34. Chapter 34

The apartment looks pretty much the same when Mickey comes back, but he finds little notes from Ian everywhere. The first one he notices is on the back of the door, under the key hanger.

  
**_Kept the keys like you told me to._**

**_Love the key ring._ **

**_Thanks._ **

**_XO_ **

**_Ian_ **

 

He smiles, remembering how he told Ian over the phone that the keys were for him and heard Ian's surprised gasp. The key ring was Captain America's shield. He was Ian's favorite superhero and Mickey couldn't understand how he'd even been surprised to hear it was for him.

 

He finds the next note on the TV.

**_Queued some stuff for you._ **

**_You're welcome._ **

 

He smiles and shakes his head. The next one is on the coffee table next to the couch.

**_Missed you._ **

**_Next time I see I'm going to_ **

**_cuddle the shit out of you._ **

 

This one makes him snort and he gets his phone to call Ian. It's late in New York, but not late enough that he'll be sleeping. He answers after the first ring.

"Hello!" His tone of voice is cheerful and warm and Mickey throws himself onto the couch, toeing off his shoes and relaxing.

"Found your notes."

"Great. All of them?"

"Found three. How many are there?"

Ian chuckles. "A few more. I really missed you. Still do."

Mickey sighs and lies down on the couch, feet over the arm rest. "Yeah, me too."

"Was everything okay with your sister?"

"Yeah, Mandy was fine. Told her about you and she asked me a dozen questions, so I figured she's recovered."

"Well, I can't wait to meet her."

"Oh, god help me."

Ian laughs at that and Mickey smiles at the sound.

"What about you? How was your... was it a commercial?"

"It was fine. It would have been better if I had been able to see you. I don't know when I'll be able to visit again, probably not for the next two months. I'm super busy."

Mickey groans in frustration.

"Yeah, I'm busy too. Had to reschedule a bunch of stuff as well. But I'll see what I can do, ok? It's just a very busy time for me, and I just took a month long vacation, and now this, so..." he sighs, letting the sentence linger.

"I understand." Ian's tone of voice doesn't sound like he understands at all, but Mickey doesn't push it. "I was about to watch a movie, wanna do it together?"

Mickey smiles and sits up.

"I'll get my laptop."

 


	35. Chapter 35

It's been three weeks and Mickey still keeps finding notes from Ian. He's found them on a chair and under the table in the dining room, in several places in the kitchen, on the mirror and in a cabinet in the bathroom, behind a picture on the hall and all around his bedroom. Some have actual messages like 'I love these cookies, get them again' or 'how come I never saw you with this shirt? I bet it looks great on you!", while other are just affectionate mementos like "the pillow still smelled like you" or "don't forget I love you". He keeps grinning every time he finds one, and he's been putting them in a box on his nightstand. He knows how sappy it is, but he can't find it in him to throw them away. At least not until Ian is back with him.

Which happens a lot earlier than he was expecting.

It's a warm Thursday evening and the first thing he notices when he comes home is the delicious smell that seems to be coming from his apartment. He knows that's not possible, however, and slightly envies whoever is about to eat whatever smells so good. When he opens the door, he's immediately taken aback by lights being on, but before he has time to worry about them, he hears a loud "surprise!" and Ian is in front of him with arms wide open.

He drops his briefcase, his eyes go wide, his mouth hangs open and he pretty sure his heart has stopped beating. His legs don't seem to obey him for a couple of seconds, until they suddenly do again and he launches himself over Ian, hugging his waist fiercely and burying his face on his neck. He inhales deeply, reveling in the smell and the warmth of having Ian in his arms once more. He pulls back when he feels like his heart is beating normally again and gives Ian a light punch in the shoulder.

"You motherfucker! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

Ian winces and holds his shoulder, pouting, although Mickey knows it did not hurt that much.

"I wanted to surprise you, asshole!"

"Well, you certainly did! Almost gave me a fucking heart attack!"

Ian laughs and pulls him closer, bringing their lips together. It starts soft and sweet, just lips playing with lips, sucking gently. Then it gets more intense, tongues wrestling and teeth biting, hands roaming over each other and articles of clothing flying around. They're soon both shirtless and Mickey's got a hand down Ian's open pants, stroking his dick, while Ian's hands are over Mickey's ass, one squeezing and the other running up and down his crack. Mickey sucks on Ian's neck and he whimpers, throwing his head back. 

"I made dinner", Ian says, voice raspy on Mickey's ear.

"Not hungry", he quickly replies, going back to the task of making Ian weak on the knees.

"It'll get cold", Ian insists, though he brings Mickey closer, one finger circling Mickey's hole and making him groan against his neck.

"Don't care." Mickey pulls back to kiss Ian's mouth again, putting his hands on the waistband of his jeans and pulling them down. He gets on his knees and Ian's eyes go wide when he notices the front door is still open.

"We're giving your neighbors a show."

Mickey turns his head and curses, quickly getting up and shutting the door behind them. When he turns back, Ian has managed to take off his shoes and pants, which he throws on Mickey's direction. 

"Race ya." He pokes his tongue at Mickey and runs to the bedroom, Mickey close behind him.

 

 


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Absolutely, wildly, unapologetically, shamelessly smut!
> 
> Seriously, it's basically all smut, skip if you're not a fan.

Ian throws himself on the bed and Mickey follows suit, covering Ian's body with his own. Ian's arms immediately close around his waist, pressing their bodies flush together, while Mickey grips his hair and runs a hand down his chest, tweaking his nipple while they kiss fervently. Ian moans into the kiss and arches his hips, grinding his cock on Mickey's leg. He tugs at the waistband of Mickey's jeans and Mickey wiggles out of them, allowing Ian to push them past his ass. He sits on the bed and pushes his pants all the way down, then settles himself back between Ian's raised knees. Ian's face and chest are flushed pink and his hair is a mess; his lips are red and he is smiling wickedly. Mickey feels like his insides are made of lava. He leans down and licks a broad stripe on the underside of Ian's cock, making him moan and grip Mickey's hair. He holds Ian's cock gently and places small pecks up and down his shaft, like he's adoring it. His tongue flickers onto the slit and Ian squirms, thrusting up towards his mouth. He parts his lips and lets him push into it, sucking lightly on his cock as it gets into his mouth. His hand grips Ian's erection more firmly and starts moving it up and down, making small twisting motions as it goes down. Meanwhile, his lips stay around the head, sucking more savagely, savoring the taste of every drop of precome he gets. Ian pulls his hair a bit harder, tapping his shoulder with his other hand. 

"Stop. Mickey stop", he whines breathlessly.

Mickey lets go of his dick with a pop and licks his lips. "What?"

Ian sits up and pulls him for a quick kiss. "I wanna come inside you."

Mickey grins and lies down next to Ian, pulling a pillow below him for support, ass up in the air.

Ian promptly gets lube and condom from the drawer and kneels between Mickey's legs. He squirts some lube on his fingers and rubs them against Mickey's entrance. Mickey hisses at the cold feeling, but Ian rubs his fingers in circling motions and he is soon pushing back onto his hand.

"Well, hurry up already then!"

Ian pushes a finger in, not stopping until it's all the way inside Mickey. He crooks his finger and moves it around, searching for Mickey's sensitive spot, and Mickey lets out a long moan of approval. He moves his finger in and out of Mickey a few times, then adds a second finger and resumes his in-and-out movement, twisting his fingers while pulling out. Mickey spreads his legs further apart and pushes back onto his fingers and Ian takes it as a sign of his readiness (or his impatience). He rolls the condom down his length and adds some more lube, pumping his hardened cock a bit to spread it. He holds his cock with one hand and spreads Mickey's cheeks with the other. He brushes the tip of his erection against Mickey's crack and relishes the whining sound Mickey makes. He pushes inside slowly but steadily, not pausing until he's buried to the hilt. Mickey lowers his head and takes small sharp breaths while his body adjusts to Ian filling him.

Ian grips Mickey's hips and starts thrusting in and out of him with vigor, the sound of skin slapping against skin echoing around them and merging with their moans and curses. He does his best to hit that spot in Mickey with every push, enjoying the feeling of Mickey's tight walls around him. Mickey's fingers find his own cock and he pumps it furiously, seeking his quickly approaching release. His body goes tense and his toes curl as he explodes onto the sheets screaming Ian's name. Ian's grip on his hips tighten and his thrusts become erratic before he pushes deeper as he fills the condom. He pulls out of Mickey and falls beside him in bed, taking out the condom, tying it and tossing it into the trash bin on the corner. He pumps his fist up in a sign of victory when he manages to get it right and Mickey laughs warmly. He kisses Ian's shoulder and scoots closer to him, throwing an arm around his waist. They kiss softly, languidly exploring each other's mouth and basking in their afterglow, until Mickey's stomach interrupts them with a loud rumble. They break apart, laughing.

"So, about that dinner...?"

"I'll heat it up!"

 

They eat in the living room, curled up in the couch, Ian's long legs on Mickey's lap while he tells Ian all about little Alex and how Mandy was doing, and the things she'd asked about him, and even some stuff she used to do then she was little. The topic moves to the shit they'd done when they were children, and things that hat happened to their brothers and sisters, until Ian lets out a big yawn and Mickey follows suit, so they decide it's time for bed. They put the dishes in the sink, and Ian promises to take care of them on the next day. They brush their teeth side by side, elbowing each other playfully. When they finally turn off the lights and lie down to sleep, Ian wraps and arm around Mickey's waist and Mickey settles into his embrace with a sigh and a content smile. It's only when he's about to fall asleep that he realizes he hasn't asked Ian why he's there or how long he's staying, but he shrugs it off. He'll ask him in the morning.

 

 


	37. Chapter 37

When his alarm clock sounds, Mickey groans and rolls over to turn on the snooze. When it goes off again, he sighs deeply and turns it off quickly, trying not to wake up Ian, who's sleeping soundly next to him. He disentangles himself from Ian's arm, immediatelly missing his warmth, and sits on the bed, stretching. He looks at Ian's sleeping form, smiling at the knowledge that he'll still be there when he comes back from work. Mickey gently runs his fingers through Ian's short hair, feeling it soft against his skin. He would give anything not to have to work today, but... He pauses, hand still on Ian's hair. He mentally goes through his agenda, and realizes it's mostly office work. He doesn't have any photo shoots today, nor any meetings, and everything that he needs to do can be done on his tablet or his computer. He sends a quick text message to his secretary saying he's not going to work today (she does not need to know why) and settles back into Ian's strong arms.

 

When he wakes up again, is with soft kisses being pressed to his temple and cheek. His eyes flutter open and he smiles when they focus on Ian's face. Ian kisses his lips softly, lingering for just a moment before bumping his nose with Mickey's.

"Good morning!" Ian laughs when Mickey yawns widely. "No work today?"

Mickey shakes his head. "Nope. Or actually, yes, but I can do it from home."

Ian's eyes lit up. "So you're mine for the whole day?"

He bouces a bit, like an excited child, and Mickey laughs. "I just said I gotta work! But yeah, you can stay with me if you want to."

Ian grins and helps Mickey up, pulling his hands and leading him out of the bedroom.

"Wait, hold, let me put on boxers at least."

Ian pouts. "Way to ruin the view!"

Mickey snorts and follows him to the kitchen/dining room area after putting on his underwear. He can smell freshly brewed coffee and bacon and his mouth starts salivating.

He sits on a chair, bringing the plate with eggs and bacon closer to him and already digging in. Ian places a mug with hot coffee in front of him and sits across for him. The food is savory and he eats with gusto, wolfing it all down. It's only once he's eaten almost everything that he notices that Ian is unusually quiet, staring at him with the mug in his hands. 

He raises his eyebrows questioningly. "Something wrong?"

Ian takes a deep breath and puts the mug down and Mickey quickly goes over the past hours trying to remember what he could have done wrong, but comes up empty.

"Nothing's wrong, it's just... I need to talk to you about something."

Some people say that's one of the worst things you can hear from someone, and they're totally right. The first thing that crosses Mickey's mind is that Ian is breaking up with him, although he can't understand why he would have bothered to make him breakfast and wake him up with kisses if that was the case. Lucky for him, Ian doesn't leave him wondering for too long.

"Remember last time I was here, when you weren't?"

Mickey frowns. Of course he remembers it, it was less than a month before. Is Ian about to tell him he has cheated on him?

"Well, it wasn't for a commercial." Ian pauses and looks at him expectantly and Mickey motions for him to continue, now truly curious to see where this is going.

"It was for a TV show."

Mickey's eyebrows shoot up to the roof.

"For real? What, you an actor now?"

Ian shrugs and takes a sip his coffee, grimacing when he notices it is cold now. 

"It was sort of a last minute thing. Sam, the director from that commercial I did the other time, is directing a new show, and the guy that was supposed to be one of the main actors gave up, so they had to look for someone new urgently. So Sam remembered me and thought I was just right for it, so he asked me to come over. I had to do some readings by myself and with other actors to see if I would fit well into the cast, and I did. They liked me, and we ended up shooting the pilot."

"Shit, that's great! Does that mean I can see you on my TV wherever I want now?"

Ian blushes and rolls his eyes.

"Wait... Do you have to kiss someone on this show?"

Ian snorts. "Not at first, no, but later, probably. But don't worry, it's not for real. It's just make believe!" He speaks softly, as he would to a child afraid of a ghost in a movie, and Mickey glares at him. "The thing is", Ian continues, "that they showed it to the network and they said yes, so it turns out we'll be shooting some more episodes, and later maybe even a full season." He starts speaking very fast, looking down into his mug. "And, of course, that will take a few months, and most of the work will be done here in LA since the show is in a fictional town and we won't really have to film on location, or at least I think we won't, I don't know, maybe we will, but I don't think so, no one said anything about it, and..."

"Ian." Ian stops his ranting and looks up at Mickey apprehensively.

"If you ask me if you can stay here, I'll throw this coffee on your face. Don't be stupid, of course you can stay here!"

Ian's lips break into a huge grin.

"Really? You sure?"

Mickey just rolls his eyes as an answer.

"It'll be months though. I can rent an apart..."

"Ian! I said yes! You can stay here for as long as you want, okay?" He takes Ian's hand over the table and looks into his eyes. "You can stay here forever."

Ian smiles again and grips his hand. "Are you asking me to move in with you? Forever?"

Mickey pulls his hand back. "You brought it up, man." He takes another bite of his eggs and chews, chuckling at Ian's lost puppy eyes. He swallows and lightly kicks his shin under the table. "To be honest, I was kind of thinking about moving to New York... I fucking hate the distance, man. And, you know, you can get modeling jobs here, there are many. Or you could, I don't know, make a movie or something."

Ian leans over and kisses him softly, tongue barely grazing his lips. He pulls back, smiling and looking into Mickey's eyes.

"Thank you. And I'd love to."

"You gotta keep making these mean breakfasts though."

"I will, Mickey. Forever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end!  
> Well, not really, there'll be an epilogue.  
> And I apologize if the way Ian got the job was a bit far-fetched.


	38. Epilogue

Mickey doesn't think he's ever seen so many people around a single table before, and it's freaking him out a little bit. He and Ian are back in Chicago for the Holidays and they're having Thanksgiving dinner at Ian's older sister's house. They're staying with Lip, Ian's older brother, and that was the only relative of Ian Mickey had met so far. But less than an hour ago they entered Fiona Lishman's ( _neé_ Gallagher) household, and he had so many pairs of eyes directed at him he couldn't help but freak out a bit. Ian introduced him to everyone and they all greeted him warmly. There was Fiona and her husband, Jimmy, as well as their son, Ben. There was also Lip, Ian's younger sister Debbie and her boyfriend, Max and their younger brother, Liam. And if that was not enough, there was also Ian's father, who seemed to be drunk already, and some other people who were introduced as friends of the family. All in all there were about twenty people gathered there and they were very  _loud_. Ian quickly mingled with everyone else, chatting excitedly and hugging people, and left Mickey to his own devices. A very tall man with black hair and blue eyes approached him where he was leaning against a wall and offered him a beer.

"I'm Kevin", he said, extending his hand, which Mickey shook. "I'm a friend of the family. You know, it's very nice to see Ian bringing someone to meet the family. He usually keeps his relationships to himself."

That didn't ease Mickey's nerves at all, and he gave Kevin a subtle nod and drank his beer.

"I know, it's noisy, right?"

Mickey raised his eyebrows and nodded. "It's not bad, it's just..."

"You're not used to it. Don't worry, you will. I hope you'll stick around for a while."

He smiled. "I plan to."

Soon after, Ian's other younger brother, Carl, arrived with his girlfriend, Jennifer, and all the attention turned to him. Apparently, it was a running joke that Carl would always bring home a different girl around Thanksgiving, but his relationships never lasted long, a fact they made sure to tell Jennifer. Carl seemed embarrassed and told them all to fuck off, but Jennifer just laughed, not seeming bothered by it. 

So now they're sitting around the enormous table, passing around plates and chatting loudly and excitedly. Mickey doesn't say much, exploring the excuse of the food being too good, which it really is. He tunes of for a bit, just enjoying the turkey and watching everyone else. He feels a hand on his thigh and looks to his right to see Ian smiling at him.

 _Are you okay?_ , his eyes are asking.

He smiles back and takes Ian's hand.  _I'm great._

Ian smiles wider and bumps their shoulders.  _So am I._

Mickey rolls his eyes.  _You're stupid._

Ian raises his eyebrows and pokes his tongue at him.  _You love it._

Mickey chuckles. _Yeah, I do._

Ian gently brushes Mickey's hair off of his forehead.  _I love you too._

"Awn!" They both turn to Jennifer, who's just emitted a very loud noise. She's looking at them like she's just seen a bunch of kittens. "You guys are so cute! Have you been together long?"

They blush and pull their hands back, but before they can say anything, Debbie speaks for them. "Not too long, but it seems so, doesn't it? The way you two were looking at each other right now... It was like you were having a whole conversation without really having to say anything."

Mickey can feel his face heating up even more, but when Ian takes his hand again and winks at him, he doesn't mind the attention that much.

 

 

 

When they go to Mandy's the next day, Mickey searches for any signs that Ian might be nervous, but finds none. But then again, he supposes meeting Mandy, her husband and baby for the first time is nowhere near as nerve wracking as meeting a dozen Gallaghers. Mandy opens the door and almost immediatelly flungs herself into Mickey's arms.

"It's so good to see you!" She lets go and looks at Ian. "So _you_ are the guy who finally managed to tame my brother! God, you're even more handsome in really life!"

She hugs Ian too and he returns the hug, smiling. "Mickey said you had a baby a few months ago, but I think he lied to me. You look gorgeous!"

"Oh, you're a flatterer! I love it!" She looks at Mickey and points to Ian. "He's a keeper! You'd better treat him right." Mickey rolls his eyes and says nothing, passing by Mandy and entering the house. Ian follows and they take off their coats once their inside.

"I saw your show", Mandy says, as they hang their coats. "It's really good. Are you going to be naked on it?"

Mickey coughs and sputters, but Ian only laughs it off. "Not that I know of, but maybe in the future?"

Mickey sighs. "I need a drink for this." He leaves them and goes into the kitchen. Mandy laughs and motions for Ian to sit on the couch, which he does. "What about you? Anything to drink?" 

"No, thanks. Later."

She sits next to him, pulling her legs over the couch.

"So... Mickey tells me you two met a long time ago?"

"Yup. Eleven years, here in Chicago. It was my first photo shoot, and I was nervous as hell. Mickey talked to me and helped me calm down, and I was attracted to him immediately. We hooked up a few times, I even spent some time in your apartment and I'm pretty sure you were there, though we never really met each other. Either way, it didn't work out. We were... not ready, I think. Sometimes I feel like some things are bound to happen in your life, sooner or later. When Mickey and I met... It just wasn't the right time." He laughs a little. 

"And when did you meet again?"

"Last year, around Halloween, in New York, where I was living at the time. Still wasn't the right time. I had a boyfriend at the time. But I broke up with him and Mickey and I started talking on the phone and texting often, and then last Thanksgiving we met again. We were both back here and we hadn't even talked about it, so it was a big surprise. I went out with my brother and then I walk into this bar and there's Mickey, sitting on a stool and sipping a beer by himself."

"Wow, that's a coincidence."

"I don't believe in coincidences."

"What do you mean?"

"It's like I said, I think some things in life are just meant to be. Mick and I..." He trails off, looking up to see Mickey walking in again, gently carrying baby Alex, his brother-in-law a step behind. "...We were written in the stars."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading it and thank the person who organized the Shameless Big Bang, it was a big push! Also thanks to Michelle, who drew a great fanart for this story, which you can see here: http://dooberlane.tumblr.com/post/86375451416/written-in-the-stars-by.
> 
> This is the longest story I've written (until now) and I loved doing it! I hope you've enjoyed reading it as well. Your kudos and comments were, and still are, greatly appreciated!


End file.
